Veii spearheading new BAS Foundation

Auguste Nyambali-Hategekimana, Ramah Mumba, Paulus Lewin, Frank Albin, Ananias Niizimba and Katrina Gowases hold the ball with Dr. Vetumbuavi Veii (middle) who was recently, appointed as chairperson of the newly founded Basketball Artists School (BAS) Foundation.

Retired Director of Sport Dr. Veii will be assisted by the board members, Katrina Gowases, Hans Hamukoto, Paulus Lewin, Esther Utjiua Muinjangue, Auguste Nyambali-Hategekimana, Ananias Niizimba as well as BAS founder Frank Albin.

Executive Director of the BAS Foundation is Ramah Mumba said,.”I personally have seen the value of this programme as it adds to our children, especially with the educational background. So I am very happy that finally we have a trust, we have trustees, and I am very confident that with the people we have selected to serve on this board we can take this programme to greater heights and have a greater future for our children”.

Founding trustee Frank Albin said, “now we are a truly Namibian organization and it comes at the right time as we agreed with the supporters from Germany that at the latest by next year BAS must stand on its own feet.”

“We will still receive support from people in Germany in future, but we won’t have a big project any more like the current one with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ),” he added.

Furthermore, Albin said the supporting association Isibindi e.V. is happy that the foundation is becoming independent now. “Currently 50 Katutura children from 11 to 18 years are part of the daily BAS program and another almost 100 children join the open programme that takes place Tuesdays and Fridays from 14:30 to 16:30 at the Katutura Sports Complex. The BAS motto is “Education First – Basketball Second”,” he added.