Westphalia, NFA celebrate 20 years

The Football and Athletics Association of Westphalia (FLVW) and Namibia recently celebrated their 20 years of cooperation in sports development with more than 150 guests, including NFA President Frans Mbidi, filling the Sportcentrum Kamen Kaiserau last Friday.

“What started out in the field with a pure soccer exchange now has many ramifications and has developed in recent years to further development projects,” FLVW president Hermann Korfmacher looked back on now two decades of intensive partnership and friendship.
The current Brave Gladiator Veweziwa ‘Vewe’ Kotjipati and former Brave Warrior Collin Benjamin, the latter having played for the Hamburger SV and TSV 1860 München shared their German experiences.
“Germany has become a second home for me,” said Vewe who plays for the second team of FSV Gütersloh in Westphalia Women League.
Benjamin also recalled his first days in Germany which started at the FLVW premises. “In Kaiserau this is where it all started. This partnership has influenced my career, “recalled Benjamin on his first visit to Westphalia mid-1990s.
For Westphalia, Michael Elsing and then team mate and current Schalke’s Julian Draxler also shared their experience of the tour to Namibia in 2010 as well. Dagmar Freitag, Member of the German Parliament (Bundestag), Chairman of the Sports Committee and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, raised in her speech the importance of the Westphalia-Namibian partnership.
Mbidi thanked the cooperation holders, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture of the Republic of Namibia, for the dedication of all those involved in recent years. Sports Director Bernhard Kaanjuka was also present.
Meanwhile on the field of play the young Namibians recorded a 4-1 victory over Westphalia under-17 last week, with Jandjamuje Maharero bagging a brace while Brandon Kotongondo and Bonifatius Paulino contributed the other two goals.
On Tuesday, 19 May, Namibia’s under-18’s faced their counterparts from Westphalia at the Karmen Kaiserau Sport Centre and the encounter ended one-all with Namibia’s goal coming from Venonineja Tjikundi.
The team will now play on Thursday against a Westphalia Junior Select Team and then prepare for their trip back home before landing at Hosea Kutako International Airport on Sunday.