Birth of an athletics empire at Otjinene

Otjinene Athletics Club has embarked on a journey to make sure that talent in the rural settlement and region does not go to waste.

Many young talented athletes in the settlement have often seen their promising careers cut short after failing at school.

This means that they were only able to compete at school level with no other alternative in the settlement.

For most growing up in the dusty settlement, cattle herding or looking for a low-paying job has been the only hope they had, even after showing signs of promise.

Founding members Alphonso Tjatindi and Kaupasaneua Tuaire hope that this will not be the case after establishing the Otjinene Athletics Club.

“We have seen how difficult it was for young and old talented athletes from this settlement to make it out of here even when they had golden years at school.

"This is why we have decided to form this club in order to keep the dreams of many of these aspiring athletes alive.

“This club is there to make sure that many talented people in our area get the opportunity and exposure they deserve,” Tjatindi said.

The club is currently home to 23 athletes who compete in athletics, long jump, javelin and high jump disciplines.

Tjatindi and his crew made their debut last month at the fourth leg of Athletics Namibia’s Grand Prix, finishing eighth out of 17 clubs represented.

At the weekend's fifth leg Grand Prix at Oshakati, the club ended 13th out of 24 teams.

As the district capital of Otjinene Constituency, which is about 157 kilometres from the regional capital Gobabis, the founders of the club are open to accept any members from surrounding areas who want to join.

“We have not restricted ourselves from taking only athletes from Otjinene but we are able to accommodate any athlete from the region at large too.

"This is a journey that we hope can bring the best out of many people that were hopeless in the past. What amazes me the most is the desire that many of these athletes have.

“For some, athletics is the only hope they have to make it out of this difficult world and you can see it in their determination,” Tjatindi noted.

Fighting social challenges

The club does not only aim at producing talent but also wishes to give members lessons about life.

Keeping them away from social evils and training them into fine athletes is what Tuaire and Tjatindi hope to achieve.

“We know many young people are at risk of getting entangled by social challenges like the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

"It is for this reason that we believe we can save many from this by instilling discipline in them.

“Keeping the guys busy with something to do is likely to keep them away from the streets and other unwanted social evils.”

Striving for sponsorships

The club at the moment does not have any fixed sponsors but survives on the little support they get from individuals and the business community.

Companies like Ombuiro Trading Enterprise, Taviza Hardware, Omuramba Service Station and Otjinene Farmers Association are among those that have contributed towards the club.

“We also take money out of our own pockets to pay for trips and all that.

"It is important to thank the people that have been supporting us too because they actually made our trips possible.

“We are however appealing to more corporates to come on board and assist us with sponsorships to make the dreams of these athletes a reality,” Tjatindi remarked.

The club hopes to acquire proper equipment for training purposes, including gear for the athletes.

“This will be one of the best things to come out of this settlement and I can assure you now that this club and its athletes are destined for greatness.

Once we have fixed and committed sponsors, our journey to success will made easier.

“I will therefore reiterate my appeal towards the business committee to assist us with making this club great,” Tjatindi said.