Cricket Namibia President, Dr. Rudie van Vuuren’s speech:
One day we will look back at our lives and recall our best memories. For some it will happen in an instant for others it will happen with enough time. Those memories will usually start with: Now that was a lekke day.
Today is a lekke day for me.
To be part of the ground breaking of a national cricket stadium will not come again for us as a board. What you see here today is the physical manifestation of a vision collectively developed from 2018.
Our vision is based on 5 key concepts:
- Globally competitive
- Professional
- Values based
- Inclusive
- Choice of sport
This stadium has was developed after our CEO and the architect of the project mr. Herman Muller benchmarked the best stadiums in South Africa and India. We went to learn from the best so we can do it better in the Namibian way. The stadium will be globally competitive.
In 2022 when our national team visited Statehouse before the T20 World Cup late President Hage Geingob sat across Polly Negogongo and said to him. “ So you guys are going to the World Cup.” To which Polly replied. No your Excellency we are competing in the world cup.
This is our mentality, our tenacity our grit….. we always compete. This stadium already has won the prize for the best sunset and best braai places in the world even before it has been built.
Professional
The team working on this project are some of the best professionals in the business. The QS mr Louis Burger was himself a national player and more than anyone understands the requirements to have a professional setup. The details that were though of in this project is mind blowing. It will be professionally built and professionally run because we believe that we can only be successful if we run Cricket as a business with the Namibian people as its main shareholders. Therefor solid corporate governance resonated through the process of developing the stadium.
Values based
Our culture in CN is based on our values of
Excellence
Discipline
Unity
Communication
Respect
Transparency
To us these values is a way of doing things and like President Geingob used to refer the Namibian house we often refer to the Cricket Namibia Bus, a bus that has the right people in the right places on the bus living the CN culture and knows exactly where its going and sometimes when people do not live the culture we ask them to leave our bus.
Inclusive and choice of sport
We believe in inclusivity; we believe that we will get to a point where Cricket becomes the sport of choice for ALL Namibians. This stadium will be more than just a structure of steel and concrete; it will be the beating heart of our Namibian Cricket community—a place where dreams are born, where players will showcase their talents, and where memories are etched into the fabric of our collective identity. It will be a place where friendships are forged, where rivalries are born, and where the spirit of competition ignites a passion for excellence in all who enter its gates.
As we break ground today, let us also break barriers—the barriers that limit our aspirations, the barriers that divide us, and the barriers that stand between us and our goals. Let this stadium stand as a testament to the boundless possibilities that lie ahead when we come together with a shared vision and a common purpose.
I extend my deepest gratitude to all who have contributed to this momentous undertaking—the architects, the construction crews, the Honorable Minister, the ED, miss Manual the director in the Ministry, Mr Mwyia of NSC, the City of Windhoek, and the countless individuals whose unwavering dedication has brought us to this point.
A special word of thanks to our CEO Johan Muller and his team of Ashley and the grounds men. Your dedication and your passion inspires us all.
To my fellow board members. The journey has been long but our vision, our picture remains clear.
The first ball of the 2027 Cricket World Cup being bowled in front of a packed stadium right here with Namibia playing the opening game and the voice over the PA system announcing:
Welcome to the Namiba Cricket Ground or better known as the N C G. Let the games begin
Today is a lekke day and we are blessed to share it with you, let us build a legacy together – a legacy of passion, perseverance and the enduring spirit of sportsmanship that will define us as a community for years to come.
