Newspaper Cup set to roll

THE Namibian yesterday made its biggest ever contribution to football development, when it announced a sponsorship of N$660 000 towards the hosting of the annual The Namibian Newspaper Cup at Keetmanshoop early next month.

The newspaper has been sponsoring the event for the past seven years and the sponsorship has grown from N$120 000 in its inaugural year to well above the half-million-dollar mark. The competition attracts under-20 players from all 13 regions to dish out their talents with the aim of making it into the national teams and premiership clubs.The editor of The Namibian, Gwen Lister, said that this year, she was impressed with the high level of organisational work done by the host, Keetmanshoop.She said the facilities seemed to be in good condition, adding that the investment is worth it because of the huge number of talented players from all the regions who compete and also meet to form friendships.”This tournament tests the abilities of all the young players from all the regions and it is also an opportunity for the national team and club football selectors and coaches to scout for players,” she said.She urged people to come in their thousands to the matches at Keetmanshoop from April 6 until April 9.”Stay out of the shebeens and come and support football instead,” she urged.She said people from the surrounding towns should come to Keetmanshoop to witness some of the finest football from the country’s young players, saying that it will be guaranteed entertainment.She said this year, the Supa Strikas team will once again be in the mix at the tournament to keep the children entertained with their famous comic drawings and games.Nasoma and New Start will also be there to raise awareness of HIV-AIDS.A new addition will be the presence of men’s and women’s football teams from Northern Cape, South Africa.The two teams will be in action against a side selected from all the teams taking part in the tournament, fondly known as the Shadow Team.Another crowd puller will the Brave Warriors, who will also meet the Shadow Team.The Northern Cape women’s football side will play against a selected Karas Region team for a cash prize of N$2 500 that has been put up by the sponsors.Also at the launch, Namibia Football Association (NFA) executive member Jackey Gertze said the tournament has a direct bearing on the selection of the under-20 national side, meaning that most of the players are drawn into the team after the tournament.She said the event is by far the biggest in the development of the game on youth level.At least 425 players will be in action at Keetmanshoop.Gertze said it was also a unique opportunity for young players, especially from the lower leagues, to shine and be seen by premiership clubs.Deputy Sport Minister Pohamba Shifeta was full of praise for both the newspaper and the event, saying that it was a perfect platform for players to realise their dreams.”This is the opportunity for them to sharpen their skills and develop into credible footballers for the future,” he said.He further praised The Namibian for its tireless contributions to the development of football, which complement Government’s efforts.He said he reads the newspaper wherever he goes and the paper, which played a pivotal role in the liberation of the country, was still going strong.Entrance to all matches during the four-day football fiesta is free.The competition attracts under-20 players from all 13 regions to dish out their talents with the aim of making it into the national teams and premiership clubs.The editor of The Namibian, Gwen Lister, said that this year, she was impressed with the high level of organisational work done by the host, Keetmanshoop.She said the facilities seemed to be in good condition, adding that the investment is worth it because of the huge number of talented players from all the regions who compete and also meet to form friendships.”This tournament tests the abilities of all the young players from all the regions and it is also an opportunity for the national team and club football selectors and coaches to scout for players,” she said.She urged people to come in their thousands to the matches at Keetmanshoop from April 6 until April 9.”Stay out of the shebeens and come and support football instead,” she urged.She said people from the surrounding towns should come to Keetmanshoop to witness some of the finest football from the country’s young players, saying that it will be guaranteed entertainment.She said this year, the Supa Strikas team will once again be in the mix at the tournament to keep the children entertained with their famous comic drawings and games.Nasoma and New Start will also be there to raise awareness of HIV-AIDS.A new addition will be the presence of men’s and women’s football teams from Northern Cape, South Africa.The two teams will be in action against a side selected from all the teams taking part in the tournament, fondly known as the Shadow Team.Another crowd puller will the Brave Warriors, who will also meet the Shadow Team.The Northern Cape women’s football side will play against a selected Karas Region team for a cash prize of N$2 500 that has been put up by the sponsors.Also at the launch, Namibia Football Association (NFA) executive member Jackey Gertze said the tournament has a direct bearing on the selection of the under-20 national side, meaning that most of the players are drawn into the team after the tournament.She said the event is by far the biggest in the development of the game on youth level.At least 425 players will be in action at Keetmanshoop.Gertze said it was also a unique opportunity for young players, especially from the lower leagues, to shine and be seen by premiership clubs.Deputy Sport Minister Pohamba Shifeta was full of praise for both the newspaper and the event, saying that it was a perfect platform for players to realise their dreams.”This is the opportunity for them to sharpen their skills and develop into credible footballers for the future,” he said.He further praised The Namibian for its tireless contributions to the development of football, which complement Government’s efforts.He said he reads the newspaper wherever he goes and the paper, which played a pivotal role in the liberation of the country, was still going strong.Entrance to all matches during the four-day football fiesta is free.