Women soccer champs

WINDHOEK – The first-ever women’s soccer national championship will take place in the capital this weekend.

The championship is played by the regional winners and runners-up of the women’s soccer leagues that were played in the Khomas, Karas, Kavango and Kunene regions. The women will fight for the title as well as the first prize of N$20 000.The second prize is N$10 000, the third place is N$5 000 and the fourth-placed team will receive N$2 000.The participating teams are the Khomas regional winners, Okahandja Beauties and runners-up Rehoboth Queens; Karas winners Just Ladies and runners-up Buchter Girls; Kavango winners Bad Girls and runners-up Sarusungu Beauties; and the Kunene winners Beauty Eagles and runners-up Welwitschia Gladiators.Speaking at the launch yesterday at the Soccer House, Namibia Football Association (NFA) Acting Secretary General Barry Rukoro said women’s soccer had grown tremendously over the past year, having developed from an unofficial league in the Khomas Region last year to four regions actively playing in leagues.Rukoro announced that two more regions, Oshana and Caprivi, will be added to the list when the new 2007/2008 season kicks off in October this year.He noted that the addition of two more regions will mean that half of the NFA’s members will have functioning women’s soccer leagues.Rukoro said that the NFA was happy with the progress of women’s soccer in the country, adding that Namibia is one of few countries on the African continent where women’s soccer had taken root.He thanked NFA executive member Jackey Gertze and the Director of Women’s Soccer and the national women’s team coach Jacqui Shipanga for all their efforts in getting women’s soccer up and running.He added that if more women can get involved with soccer, the NFA can serve a much larger portion of the Namibian population where women are in a greater percentage than men.DEVELOPMENT PLAN The championship is the culmination of work that started at the end of 2005 when the NFA put into motion the women’s soccer development plan.In 2006, the first official leagues started in four regions with 39 teams officially registered with the NFA.Gerze said that the NFA had indeed kept to its promise of developing the game and thanked the NFA president John Muinjo, who believes in developing women’s soccer across the continent and Rukoro, who has been urging them on since he assumed responsibilities as acting Secretary General.With the addition of more regions, the number of players will grow and that will lead to better quality and excellence in women’s soccer.Gertze also expressed appreciation to the Namibia Football Consortium (NFC) for sponsoring soccer in the country and to FIFA for funding the NFA’s women’s soccer development project.The matches will take place at the TransNamib and Telecom fields in Pionierspark, starting at 07h30 on Saturday morning.The teams have been grouped in two pools and will play on a round-robin basis.The third and fourth place play-off will take place at 08h00 on Sunday morning with the final between the group winners to be decided at 10h30.The Brave Gladiators shadow team will be announced after the final.NampaThe women will fight for the title as well as the first prize of N$20 000.The second prize is N$10 000, the third place is N$5 000 and the fourth-placed team will receive N$2 000.The participating teams are the Khomas regional winners, Okahandja Beauties and runners-up Rehoboth Queens; Karas winners Just Ladies and runners-up Buchter Girls; Kavango winners Bad Girls and runners-up Sarusungu Beauties; and the Kunene winners Beauty Eagles and runners-up Welwitschia Gladiators.Speaking at the launch yesterday at the Soccer House, Namibia Football Association (NFA) Acting Secretary General Barry Rukoro said women’s soccer had grown tremendously over the past year, having developed from an unofficial league in the Khomas Region last year to four regions actively playing in leagues.Rukoro announced that two more regions, Oshana and Caprivi, will be added to the list when the new 2007/2008 season kicks off in October this year.He noted that the addition of two more regions will mean that half of the NFA’s members will have functioning women’s soccer leagues.Rukoro said that the NFA was happy with the progress of women’s soccer in the country, adding that Namibia is one of few countries on the African continent where women’s soccer had taken root.He thanked NFA executive member Jackey Gertze and the Director of Women’s Soccer and the national women’s team coach Jacqui Shipanga for all their efforts in getting women’s soccer up and running.He added that if more women can get involved with soccer, the NFA can serve a much larger portion of the Namibian population where women are in a greater percentage than men. DEVELOPMENT PLAN The championship is the culmination of work that started at the end of 2005 when the NFA put into motion the women’s soccer development plan.In 2006, the first official leagues started in four regions with 39 teams officially registered with the NFA.Gerze said that the NFA had indeed kept to its promise of developing the game and thanked the NFA president John Muinjo, who believes in developing women’s soccer across the continent and Rukoro, who has been urging them on since he assumed responsibilities as acting Secretary General.With the addition of more regions, the number of players will grow and that will lead to better quality and excellence in women’s soccer.Gertze also expressed appreciation to the Namibia Football Consortium (NFC) for sponsoring soccer in the country and to FIFA for funding the NFA’s women’s soccer development project.The matches will take place at the TransNamib and Telecom fields in Pionierspark, starting at 07h30 on Saturday morning.The teams have been grouped in two pools and will play on a round-robin basis.The third and fourth place play-off will take place at 08h00 on Sunday morning with the final between the group winners to be decided at 10h30.The Brave Gladiators shadow team will be announced after the final.Nampa