Nkurenkuru: Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture Dino Ballotti has criticised the state of the Nkurenkuru Youth Sports Complex, expressing his dissatisfaction with athletes having to play on a gravel surface instead of a grass field. "I'm not happy as I stand here this morning," Ballotti remarked during the handover of materials to 11 Rural Youth Constituency Enterprises in Nkurenkuru. "We're standing on a gravel pitch where I would want us to be standing on a grass field, and I'm going to say again, I'm truly not happy." According to Namibia Press Agency, Ballotti highlighted that despite ongoing efforts, the condition of the field remains unchanged. "This field that we're standing on today, young people, I can tell you that I've been here. We've written memos, we've written emails, we've written letters, we've engaged, but yet, still today, we are standing on a field of sand and stone," he lamented. Ballotti further suggested the necessity of physical intervention to i mprove the field conditions. "Perhaps I should physically come with a shovel, and we can start doing some irrigation work, because I don't know what more we need to do to ensure that this field, with budget prevailing, remains a sand and stone field in Kavango West," he stated, emphasizing the potential impact on local football development. He underscored the challenges faced by KK United, the only team from Kavango West leading the First Division log for the Northeast Stream. The team's potential promotion raises concerns about where they will play if they advance. Kavango West Regional Youth Forum chairperson David Nekaro called for immediate action to address the stadium's condition, noting its adverse effects on local entrepreneurs and youth performance. "We can't have our teams travelling to Rundu every weekend for their games. This is really affecting the entrepreneurs in the Kavango West region," Nekaro commented. He also mentioned that young athletes struggle to showcase their talents due to playing on sandy fields. An initial allocation of N.dollars 10 million was made in the 2023/24 financial year for Phase 1A of the Nkurenkuru Multipurpose Youth Resource Centre and Sport Complex, covering feasibility, design, documentation, and site layout. The ministry plans to allocate an additional N.dollars 45 million for subsequent phases through 2027. The site was handed over in March 2024, with the Rundu Vocational Training Centre involved in construction.