Karas offered N$85 000 bonus for Cup triumph

KEETMANSHOOP – A local businessman has pledged N$85 000 to the Karas Region’s Under-20 side as ‘prize money’ and an all-expenses-paid getaway to Cape Town should the team win The Namibian Newspaper Cup.

The managing director and owner of TJ Civil Technology, Theofilus Nghilundua, announced on Wednesday – during the official handover of the cheque at the Keetmanshoop Youth Centre – that every player of the 20-man squad will receive N$2 000 if they win the Easter tournament.The rest of the money will be used to pay for the team’s trip to Cape Town immediately after winning the tournament.Should the team reach the finals, but not emerge as the winners, each player will get N$1 000.In the event that the team loses the tournament and does not reach the finals, they will not receive any cash rewards, and the trip will be cancelled.The money will then be put into the Karas Trust Fund to be used for developmental projects.Nghilundua encouraged the team to play hard, and thus keep the Cup in the region.He also motivated them to be serious about everything they do in life, such as education and their football careers.Receiving the donation on behalf of the team, Karas Governor Bernardus Swartbooi applauded the businessman for supporting the boys.’No one has ever given our young people in football as much as you did today, so we will always be thankful for your contribution,’ he said to Nghilundua.Swartbooi noted that to date, the team has received financial support totalling N$112 000 from local businesspeople.’We not only want to win the Cup, we want to transform our players into responsible and good professionals,’ he beamed.Karas, the hosts, will open the tournament against Oshikoto at the Keetmanshoop Stadium on 6 April.– Nampa