THE 16th edition of the Namibian Newspaper Cup was launched in Windhoek on Tuesday with a record number of sponsors having come on board.
The Namibian Newspaper is still the official sponsor, but the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Nedbank Namibia, Coca Cola and the Namibia Statistics Agency are just some of the sponsors that have come on board to make it one of the biggest sporting events on the Namibian sporting calendar.
This year’s Namibian Newspaper Cup will be hosted in Rundu from 25 to 28 March and at Tuesday’s launch the governor of Kavango East Dr Samuel Mbambo said that they were ready to host the event.
“We are ready. Kavango East has been yearning to host this event that has become one of the biggest sporting events in Namibia,” he said.
Dr Mbambo said there would be lasting benefits for the inhabitants of the region, with the government already having spent N$2,6 million on infrastructure upgrading.
“The field and other facilities at the Rundu Sport Stadium have been upgraded and renovations at the accommodation sites are at an advanced stage. The security has been taken care of and the law enforcement agencies are on board with the local organising committee,” he said.
Nedbank Namibia has also come on board as a sponsor for the first time and their managing director, Lionel Matthews said they were proud to be associated with the event.
“Nedbank Namibia is proud to be associated with the Namibia Newspaper Cup. The idea (that we should join) was mooted a few years ago and today I can announce that Nedbank Namibia has become involved to the tune of N$500 000,” he said.
The editor of The Namibian, Tangeni Amupadhi said this year’s event was unique because of the substantial investments of its partners, while it did a lot
“This year is a unique edition of the Namibia Newspaper Cup because of the substantial investments from our partners… At a stage we were thinking of pulling out, but the event has grown a lot. We started with two sponsors and now we have seven so I think we can do a lot more with this event,” he said.
He said the event contributed a lot towards nation building.
“A nation-building exercise is much more important than mere slogans – people from different parts of the country will come together and learn about each other and their cultures. As Namibians we must work towards building a Namibian tradition and the Namibia Newspaper Cup is one of those platforms.”
The president of the Namibia Football Association, Frans Mbidi said it was ‘one of the most exciting events on the NFA’s calendar’ while it served as the ‘bedrock for identification and development of talent.’
“This competition will also help our national team selectors to cast their eyes over new talent which can be drafted into our national u20 side. This national team will be involved in the 2017 Caf u20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as well as the Cosafa u20 Championships an the Africa Sport Council Zone Five Sport Games, all happening in 2016,” he added.
The chairperson of the Namibia Sport Commission Dr Vetumbuavi Veii congratulated The Namibian on its investment into sport.
“Fifteen years is a long time and you have shown that you are not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk. This tournament has contributed to the development of football in Namibia and if you look at the players who won the Cosafa Cup last year, I can safely say that about 90 percent came through this competition,” he said.
“We cannot underestimate the value of sport – it can reduce poverty and increase incomes of people. For instance today all the players in the Namibia Premier League get a salary,” he added.
The secretary general of the NFA, Barry Rukoro then conducted the draw for the tournament which will consist of a group stage and a knockout stage.
There will be two groups of four teams and two groups of three teams, with the group winners going through to the semifinals.
The groups will be as follows:
Group A:
Zambezi, Kunene, Omaheke and Kavango West.
Group B:
Otjozondjupa, Omusati, Hardap and Khomas.
Group C:
Erongo, Oshikoto and Oshana.
Karas, Kavango East, Ohangwena.
