Delta win inaugural Hopsol Youth League

DELTA Secondary School were crowned the u19 champions of the inaugural Hopsol Youth League at its prize giving ceremony at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Wednesday, which coincided with the final round of league matches.

Delta drew their final match 1-1 against Academia High School to finish on top of the log on 32 points, while Fortis Football Academy came second on 29 and Cosmos High School third on 24 points.

Delta received the trophy and gold medals from Robert Hopperdietzel of the sponsors, Hopsol, while Fortis Football Academy received silver medals and Cosmos High School bronze medals.

Fortis Football Academy also won the Most Improved Team award, while St Josephs won the Most Committed Team award and Cosmos High School the Fair Play award.

The Hopsol league also catered for u9, u11, u13, u15 and u17 leagues, which will all be concluded soon.

At this stage, the winners of most of the age groups have been decided, although the u13 and u15 leagues will go down to the wire, with Ramblers and SKW battling it out for those titles.

The other league winners have, however, been decided with Athletic Club Football Association taking the u9 title, Ramblers Football Academy winning the u11 category; and St Josephs winning the u17 league.

Collin Benjamin, one of the founding members of the Hopsol Youth League, said they had done well in their first year.

“For our inaugural year I think we have done well. We had a whole lot of committed teams and in that regard I want to thank the teachers, who also acted as coaches – I want to thank them for their commitment. They are the unsung heroes and it’s because of them that we have had a great first year.

There were lots of goals, there were fights, and there were tears, and I think it’s something we can be proud of and we’re looking forward to next year,” he said.

Benjamin said that Hopsol had renewed the sponsorship for next year.

“Oh definitely, we are just getting started. The sponsorship will definitely continue next year and the year after that as well. We just want to broaden the scope, and give all these kids who don’t have the opportunity to play structured and organised football, a chance to play and someone looking after them,” he said.

“And in the process, if we can identify a few players for greater duties. As a matter of fact there are actually two or three boys who will be joining Premier League teams – I know Civics got two of them from here so that’s great,” he added.

Players in the Hopsol League are, however, still banned from competing in national age group teams, but Benjamin said they would try and reach a solution with the NFA.

“At the moment we are trying to look for an audience with the top brass of the NFA, that means the secretary general and the president, basically for them to guide us in this process, because we heard that the process we took was not the correct one. So it seems that no one is actually giving us direction, so we are basically going to look for that audience with the president and the secretary general.

“I think it’s a pity that these boys have to suffer, and the region as well. Khomas could have probably done better because there are a lot of talented boys who could have helped them. As I said, if three of them are joining Premier League clubs it bears testimony to the talent that’s around. But I’m sure that we will iron those issues out and we will do it the way it should be done and Namibia should be the winner in this,” he added.

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