Namibia dismisses breakaway gymnastics body

WINDHOEK, Jan. 28 — The Namibian Sports Commission (NSC) and Namibian National Olympic Committee (NNOC) on Thursday dispelled the emergence of a breakaway group under the name Namibian Gymnastics (NG) saying the government only recognizes the original Namibia Gymnastic Federation (NGF) which is currently being managed under an interim committee since last year.
The committee was set up by NSC last year to bring sanity to the long-standing boardroom challenges faced by NGF as well as organize an annual general meeting which will give birth to full-time management sometime this year.
The NSC head, Simataa Mwiya, and NNOC Secretary-General, Joan Smit released a joint press statement saying the sports commission run under the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service does not recognize the splinter group which they accused of creating confusion both locally as well as to international bodies that the NGF is affiliated to.
“The sports commission has learned of a new body which is organizing and managing gymnastics sport in Namibia and communicating on international fora as a legitimate Namibian entity. We would like to set the record straight here legally as per our statutes that they are not recognized,” Mwiya said.
He also emphasized that the sports commission is more concerned with making sure that sanity prevails in the management of gymnastics which has been troubled by boardroom squabbles for years.
According to Mwiya, they have also communicated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Gymnastics Federation (IGF) to set the record straight.

– Xinhua