From the Sidelines: Cup brings delight in north

THE Namibian Newspaper Cup has surely sent waves of delight and excitement through the northern community after the Oshana Region won the coveted title by ousting Khomas in the final earlier this week.

So important was the win to them that the team received a heroes’ welcome with people lining up along the main road to congratulate the players and team officials, while some even went to the extent of offering gifts to them. The Governor of the region, Klemens Kashuupulwa, promised a bigger function for the team soon as a token of appreciation for their efforts in bringing the trophy to the northern region for the first time.The fact that the competition involves all 13 regions gives a sense of belonging to each football lover in terms of geographical location – and that makes it interesting.At the tournament, which lasted four days, people were divided along regional lines, but a spirit of sportsmanship prevailed throughout at the spacious Keetmanshoop Showgrounds down south.The people clearly shouted for their respective regions as they took on each other on the playing field, but the most vocal voices were the ones from supporters who rallied behind Karas as hosts.After the win by Oshana, there was a huge crowd of people that flocked onto the field as they all wanted to be associated with the winning team.The atmosphere was electrifying and the editor of The Namibian, Gwen Lister, was swamped by players at the presentation ceremony, while some spectators remained stuck in their seats on the pavilion long after the football had finished.The tournament in fact received its best support in terms of spectators ever and organisers are hoping to attract more people in future tournaments.The welcome by the people in the north was the first time in the competition that has celebrated its seventh year in existence and it makes it a rather unique experience.Oshana deservedly won the competition because of their well-calculated strategies in each of the three matches they played under the guidance of Cascas Angula.The team consisted of players from all the towns in the region and this showed that the selectors were not biased in putting a great team together.Overall, the tournament was a success and praise came from a lot of people who watched the games at Keetmanshoop, while Kashuupulwa also thanked the newspaper for coming up with such an idea.There were a lot of people who suggested a change of format, with some saying that that it should be played on a league basis, but as it has proven over the years, the current system still proves effective.Teams that are eliminated in the first round are given an opportunity to play in a losers’ section and they too walk away with prizes, while exhibition matches and fun for the children through the Supa Strikas team also spice up the event.This year several over-aged players competed at the event, a situation which should be curbed in future tournaments, because it prevents the under-20 players from claiming the prizes that are due to them.The under-20 players lose out to the senior and more experienced players as they are overshadowed in their performances.A case in point is the Player of the Series award that was given to Jerome Louis, who is a seasoned premier league player.The Goalkeeper of the Series award was also given to a prominent player in Sidwell Grootboom, who plays for Black Africa.There were in fact several other younger players who shined, but were overlooked for the awards.The panel should be clear on the criteria of selecting players for awards in future as it completely dampens the purpose of the tournament.A decision should also be taken on of the age of players who compete at the event.The sponsors understand that this event is purely for the development of players under the age of 20, but some players are drafted into teams trough dubious means and this is unacceptable.But despite that, the tournament has grown in stature and was a success once again and let the people from Oshana and especially the players enjoy their victory.The Governor of the region, Klemens Kashuupulwa, promised a bigger function for the team soon as a token of appreciation for their efforts in bringing the trophy to the northern region for the first time.The fact that the competition involves all 13 regions gives a sense of belonging to each football lover in terms of geographical location – and that makes it interesting.At the tournament, which lasted four days, people were divided along regional lines, but a spirit of sportsmanship prevailed throughout at the spacious Keetmanshoop Showgrounds down south.The people clearly shouted for their respective regions as they took on each other on the playing field, but the most vocal voices were the ones from supporters who rallied behind Karas as hosts.After the win by Oshana, there was a huge crowd of people that flocked onto the field as they all wanted to be associated with the winning team.The atmosphere was electrifying and the editor of The Namibian, Gwen Lister, was swamped by players at the presentation ceremony, while some spectators remained stuck in their seats on the pavilion long after the football had finished.The tournament in fact received its best support in terms of spectators ever and organisers are hoping to attract more people in future tournaments.The welcome by the people in the north was the first time in the competition that has celebrated its seventh year in existence and it makes it a rather unique experience.Oshana deservedly won the competition because of their well-calculated strategies in each of the three matches they played under the guidance of Cascas Angula.The team consisted of players from all the towns in the region and this showed that the selectors were not biased in putting a great team together.Overall, the tournament was a success and praise came from a lot of people who watched the games at Keetmanshoop, while Kashuupulwa also thanked the newspaper for coming up with such an idea.There were a lot of people who suggested a change of format, with some saying that that it should be played on a league basis, but as it has proven over the years, the current system still proves effective.Teams that are eliminated in the first round are given an opportunity to play in a losers’ section and they too walk away with prizes, while exhibition matches and fun for the children through the Supa Strikas team also spice up the event.This year several over-aged players competed at the event, a situation which should be curbed in future tournaments, because it prevents the under-20 players from claiming the prizes that are due to them.The under-20 players lose out to the senior and more experienced players as they are overshadowed in their performances.A case in point is the Player of the Series award that was given to Jerome Louis, who is a seasoned premier league player.The Goalkeeper of the Series award was also given to a prominent player in Sidwell Grootboom, who plays for Black Africa.There were in fact several other younger players who shined, but were overlooked for the awards.The panel should be clear on the criteria of selecting players for awards in future as it completely dampens the purpose of the tournament.A decision should also be taken on of the age of players who compete at the event.The sponsors understand that this event is purely for the development of players under the age of 20, but some players are drafted into teams trough dubious means and this is unacceptable.But despite that, the tournament has grown in stature and was a success once again and let the people from Oshana and especially the players enjoy their victory.