Diamond firm adds shine to gems

The Namibia Diamond Trading Company (NDTC) hopes to see young people thrive through its sponsorship of the Futsal Namibia Premier League and Harders Cup.

The two sporting events received a combined N$650 000 from the gem mining and sorting consortium yesterday.

The indoor football premiership got the largest chunk to run its operations for 12 months, with N$200 000 allocated to the expanded Harders Cup, set to be resuscitated at Lüderitz in September.

“Futsal is an exhilarating, high impact, fast paced brand of football, almost like the markets in which we operate, that is taking Namibia by storm. They are innovative and passionate about nurturing local talent, like us,” says NDTC corporate affairs manager Helena Mootseng.

“Our role is really to make sure that we add value to Namibian diamonds. And by that, we don’t just mean the products we are taking care of on our benches, but we actually mean the Namibian diamonds that are among us today. By creating opportunities, by supporting entities that create opportunities, to ensure young people can thrive,” Mootseng says.

The return of the Harders Cup, which kicked off in 2017, is another important youth initiative which aligns with the NDTC’s outlook, she adds.

“Again, we really understand the value that sport brings to our country. As a matter of fact, in my previous life when I was a police officer, I learned that sport is a really good way of making sure that we keep young people positively engaged and keep them off the streets,” says Mootseng.

“These two sponsorships are about partnerships, strengthening the partnerships for development,” Mootseng notes.

“As a last reminder, let us give our young people an enabling environment and as many opportunities as we can create for them to thrive and take Namibia forward.”

Futsal Namibia chairperson Andrei Tirtirau says they have come a long way from humble beginnings to a stage where the value of their efforts is being recognised.

“I want to take you back a little bit to where we started in 2020, with a very small league with about 30 or 40 players, trying to find a sponsorship of N$5 000, looking at how we can make it happen. Fast forward to 2024, where we actually sent our first national team to the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon),” says Tirtirau.

“We’ve been chatting about giving a platform to young people. I believe that this is exactly what we’re doing. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved so far. The sponsorship means a lot to us. We can really build on it.”

The Afcon experience in Morocco lit a fire within the Namibian youth, showing the possibilities that lie ahead through Futsal, he says.

“It really gave a chance to our players to showcase their skills on an international level, to a point where we’re looking at hosting international friendlies. We’re looking at bringing in a lot of talent from Morocco, from Europe.

Tirtirau says they have big plans this year, including launching a female league and are looking at a national female team to compete in the first ever Futsal World Cup.

“So, this partnership, this sponsorship, is really investing in the growth, not only of the sport, but the talent that we have in this country. Futsal is a sport for the people. It’s played in every corner.”

Similarly, the youth will take centre stage at the Harders Cup and will be provided a platform to showcase their skill and forge camaraderie with rivals, says the event’s representative Rauna Johannes.

The tournament, which will also include a music show, is now a regional competition featuring 20 teams from Oranjemund, Aus, Keetmanshoop, Karasburg, Noordoewer and Rosh Pinah.

“The Harders Cup is a special event that brings together the diverse community of Lüderitz and the //Kharas region, all coming together to unite through the power of sport and music,” says Johannes.

“At the same time, it empowers the small and medium enterprises and mainstream businesses, showing the young people that they have the right to dream, work hard and make their dreams come true.

“The teams are not required to pay any participation fees, and access to the entire event is free for the public throughout the weekend,” adds Johannes.