Did the NCF exco take the easy way out by resigning?

The Namibia Chess Federation (NCF) executive committee (exco) announcing its decision to step away from leadership roles in January was met with backlash from a splinter of the chess community.

The NCF exco’s resignation ended its two-year tenure that began when it was elected in January 2023 and entrusted with reviving the federation from demise.

A section of the chess community claimed the leadership took the easy way out to avoid answering for allegedly questionable decisions, including the contentious participation of NCF president Goodwill Khoa’s Zambian-born wife, Lutopu Khoa, in national competitions.



“Abuse of power”

The aggrieved members alleged that Khoa abused his power as president and made the unconstitutional decision of allowing his wife to participate in international competitions under Namibia despite supposedly not holding Namibian citizenship.

Although she has been in the country for over a decade, critics argued that her participation was unfair to other female chess players who were eligible to compete for national representation.

Speaking to Sport Wrap this week, the aggrieved chess community splinter said: “If you have been in Namibia for over ten years but do not have Namibian citizenship, you are not a citizen. Many assumed she was a citizen because of her long-term residence, but the truth is that she did not have the required documentation to compete as a Namibian.

“If you are playing as a foreigner in a national event, you are essentially taking a spot that belongs to someone who is legally eligible. That is what caused a major upset. This situation changed everything for female players who were expecting a fair chance at national representation.”



"Considered Namibian"

However, Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) chief administrator Freddy Mwiya, speaking in general about athletes who are Namibian by marriage, confirmed that any foreign-born athlete falling in that category can compete as Namibian.

“They are [considered] as Namibian players,” he said yesterday.

Since her involvement, Lutopu Khoa has won multiple national titles, establishing herself as the reigning Namibian women’s champion.

Her most notable achievement came last year when she made history as the country’s first women’s champion at the RMB Classical Chess Open Championships in Windhoek.

The source alleged that Lutopu Khoa could not compete at the 45th FIDE World Chess Olympiad last year, which serves as the Chess World Cup qualifiers allegedly due to passport issues.



"Not illegal"

Denying any wrongdoing, Khoa claimed that all decisions regarding his wife’s participation were legal and approved by the Namibia Sports Commission.

“I did not do anything illegal or abuse my power as president. Everything was done according to the Sports Act, and the Namibia Sports Commission was fully aware of it," Khoa told Sport Wrap.

This controversy overshadows some of the positive contributions made by the exco, such as securing over N$1 million in sponsorships from Bank Windhoek and other entities to improve chess infrastructure.

However, the splinter claimed that Khoa’s leadership style was problematic, particularly his alleged willingness to override the federation’s constitution in favour of sponsor-driven decisions.

“As a leader, you're always supposed to make decisions based on what the constitution says. But our president, our exco, didn’t do that. And that's the biggest disgruntlement within the chess community.

“He felt like since he’s bringing in sponsors, he can do what he wants. Because he brought us these nice chess boards and clocks. So if the sponsors say jump, then you need to do that. Even if the chess community says no,” the source said.



“We did not take the easy way out”

In response to the allegations, Goodwill Khoa refuted claims that he and the exco resigned to avoid accountability. He stated that the resignation had already been planned and listed as an agenda point at the annual general meeting (AGM).

“At the AGM, they told me as president I must be quiet. So I said, fine, I will step down so we can address the issue. But even then, they refused to discuss it,” he said.



“Personal agenda to attack”

He alleged that a specific group within the chess community had a personal agenda against the exco. He further stated that even the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was aware of the situation and wondered what Namibia was doing. “This group had a personal agenda to attack us,” he alleged.

Khoa explained that Lutopu Khoa officially obtained Namibian citizenship last year but had faced passport delays due to technical issues.

“She has been residing in Namibia for more than 12 years. She has been competing in Namibian chess long before I became president, and she is the strongest woman player in the country,” Khoa said.



“Where is your evidence?”

He challenged the critics to present evidence of any wrongdoing, emphasising that he is willing to have an open debate on the matter.

“I am willing to sit down with the Sports Commission, lawyers and even the media to put the facts on record. If there was an abuse of power, where is the formal complaint? This is moving towards defamation, and they must be careful,” Khoa warned.

Despite having stepped down, Khoa insisted that all documents and approvals are available as proof that his actions were legal. “All relevant authorities have the records. If they want to challenge it, they must bring evidence, not just accusations,” he noted.

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