Paresis Secondary School’s (PSS) Under-17 soccer team from Otjiwarongo reclaimed their crown as the NSSU Otjozondjupa Regional U/17 League and NFA YDF U/17 Otjiwarongo League Champions for 2014.
The Otjozondjupa Regional Champions, which were the North Central School’s soccer league regional semi-finals took place at the Omulunga Soccer Stadium in Grootfontein in September and PSS’s U/17 soccer team came out the winners.
After a heated final, the school beat Grootfontein Secondary School scoring 2 -1 by strikers Hatani Guidao-oab and Hezeeko Katjiukua. After a saddening loss last year, Paresis retains their titles as the champions after winning the Regional finals in 2008, 2009, 2011 and now in 2014.
“Soccer is the heart of the Otjiwarongo community. Thus we have committed ourselves in keeping that fire burning. With the assistance from from NFA and Isack Hamata, we have been running the Youth Development through Football league (YDF) for the past five years. The winning teams from each age group qualify for the Regional Finals on a yearly basis,” PSS coach, Bartlo Gaingob said. “YDF Otjiwarongo has not only helped the youth to develop their football skills but through soccer we have empowered them to stay away from drugs and alcohol abuse as well.”
At the moment, the biggest challenge for PSS is to form a partnership with other schools, so as to compete in the Old Mutual Far North Championships by combining the Otjozondjupa Regionals to form a yearly tournament for schools around the north.
“If we are accepted in this prestigious championship, then come next year the mighty Otjozondjupa will dethrone the Iipumbu Senior Secondary School from the Oshana Region,” Gaingob further stated.
