Category: Games

TSUMEB: The chairperson of the Namibia School Sports Union (NSSU) in the Oshikoto Region, Bonifatius Iiyambo, has expressed concern about the lack of sports facilities in the region. Iiyambo in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday said many of the 228 schools in the region lack facilities like netball and football fields. At the few schools equipped with sports fields, the infrastructure does not meet the required standards, he added.

The chairperson said with the exception of the Tsumeb Sports Stadium, there is a scarcity of adequate sports facilities in the region. Only secondary schools like Nehale Senior Secondary School and Uukule Secondary School have sports facilities, but these are inadequate.

‘When our learners run on those tracks, it is not accurate because they are not proper fields with the right measurements,’ said Iiyambo.

He also said many schools only focus on running as there is no equipment for other sports codes such as shotput, high jump and javelin.

Despite this, he noted a strong inter
est in sports among learners.

‘Our learners love sports and you see it for yourself when there are trials or training,’ said Iiyambo.

‘Let us invest in sport because it unites people and prevents children from getting involved in activities such as drug and alcohol abuse,’ he said.

He made the remarks in Tsumeb during the preparation of the Under-20 Oshikoto regional team for the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup taking place in Gobabis this weekend.

Mbumba Haitengela, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service, acknowledged the need for improved sports facilities in Namibia when approached for comment. Haitengela however noted plans to construct sports stadiums in all regional capitals.

‘We are aware of the lack of sports facilities in Namibia and we have decided to construct sports stadiums, including in the Oshikoto and Kunene regions, in the 2024/25 financial year,’ said Haitengela.

He said vocational training centres will be utilised for sports field construction in th
e respective regions by way of a memorandum of understanding with the National Training Authority.

Source:The Namibia Press Agency

After falling short of victory in previous years, the Kunene Region Under-20 netball team will be the favourites in the Namibian Newspaper Cup showpiece this weekend, the team’s manager has said.

The manager of the Kunene netball team, Ndimeja Zatjinda, told Nampa on Tuesday that the sky is the limit this time around as they are confident of their players’ ability.

‘This year, the sky is the limit. We have never had such a team before so the region must expect wonders from the girls,’ she stated.

Zatjinda explained that the region conducted fair trials through schools and zonal sports organisations to select the top players. Despite a notable performance in last year’s Newspaper Cup, Kunene faced disqualification for fielding a non-registered player, which prevented them from advancing to the quarterfinals. However, Zatjinda gave her assurance that all regulatory matters are now in order and they are aiming to win.

Kunene Region’s U-20 netball team, led by Concetta Mauha, includes Jeomba Katjiumune as sec
retary, Naftali Nangula as head coach, Hilia Nashilongo as assistant coach, and Zatjinda as team manager.

This year’s event, which is sponsored by Netbank, is set to take place in Gobabis in the Omaheke Region from 30 March to 01 April 2024.

Kunene has been drawn in Group A along with Ohangwena, //Kharas, Otjozondjupa, Kavango West, Oshana, and Omusati.

Hardap, Khomas, Erongo, Oshikoto, Kavango East, Zambezi, and Omaheke will compete against each other in Group B.

The football draw features Kavango East, Kavango West, Oshana, and Kunene in Group B; Otjozondjupa, Ohangwena, and Omusati in Group C; and Kharas, Erongo, and Omaheke in Group D. Group A includes Zambezi, Oshikoto, Hardap, and Khomas.

In the netball category, Khomas Region defeated Erongo to win the championship, while Kavango West defeated host Otjozondjupa Region by a score of two goals to zero in the final.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) will host the Bank Windhoek-NVF Doc Tournament at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund this weekend in celebration of 40 years of volleyball.

NVF president Hilary Imbuwa in a statement on Tuesday said the tournament was named in tribute to Dr Juergen Munz, affectionately known as Doc, a trailblazer in Namibian volleyball during the early 1970s and 80s, and has garnered significance as a historical cornerstone.

It was started in 1983 by the former South West Africa Volleyball Association (SWAVA).

Imbuwa said the competition highlights the NVF’s unwavering dedication to promoting volleyball in Namibia.

He said the 40th anniversary edition is expected to be a historic occasion, with teams from all over Namibia competing in a sequence of matches that will conclude in a thrilling championship showdown.

Sixteen female and 19 male teams are expected to compete in the tournament.

‘We are thrilled to celebrate this significant milestone in the history of Namibian volleyball. The Doc
Tournament has been instrumental in shaping the volleyball landscape in Namibia, and we look forward to continuing its legacy for many years to come,’ he expressed.

International teams were welcomed in previous editions, but Imbuwa indicated that this year’s absence of foreign teams was due to logistical issues. He expressed optimism that, under the right circumstances, international participation will return in the next edition.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 Doc Tournament due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the 40th anniversary celebration was rescheduled for 2024 instead of 2023.

The tournament is amongst others sponsored by Bank Windhoek, Calvary Technologies, the MTC Dome, OTB Sports and Venus Enterprises.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

OSHAKATI: The Ruacana Town Council has invested N.dollars 350 000 in the hosting of the town’s 11th Easter Tournament.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from 29 March to 01 April 2024.

In an interview with Nampa on Monday, tournament organiser Simaneka Nendongo said a total of N.dollars 148 000 will be put aside for prizes, with the rest of the amount used for other expenses.

Nendongo indicated that this is the biggest event on their calendar and they expect to cater for thousands of visitors expected to attend this year’s tournament.

‘During the four days of the tournament, local traders will make extra income and hopefully grow the town’s economy,’ he stated.

Teams will participate in four sports codes during the event.

In the male football category, the winner will walk away with N.dollars 25 000, a floating trophy and gold medals.

The second runner-up will scoop N.dollars 17 000 and silver medals, while the semi-finalist will get N.dollars 6 000 and N.dollars 4 000 respectively.

In the fem
ale and Legend Soccer Category, the winners will get N.dollars 9 000, a floating trophy and gold medals. The second-place winner will get N.dollars 7 000 and silver medals, while the third-place will get N.dollars 5 000 and bronze medals.

Meanwhile, in the netball category, the winner will scoop N.dollars 12 000, a floating trophy and gold medals. The second runner-up will get N.dollars 8 000 and silver medals, while the third-place winner will get N.dollars 6 000 and bronze medals.

With regards to the volleyball and basketball sport codes, Nendongo indicated that the winners will receive N.dollars 7 000, a floating trophy and gold medals. The second-placed team will get N.dollars 5 000 and silver medals, while the third-place winner will walk away with N.dollars 3 000 and bronze medals.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

BETHANIE: Eleven Brothers Football Club from Naute Dam were on Sunday crowned winners of the second addition of the Dawid Isaacks football tournament at Bethanie in the ?Kharas Region.

The tournament, which took place at the Bethanie Sports Field, started on Saturday and saw 13 football teams competing for top honours.

In the tournament’s final, Eleven Brothers defeated Desert Horses Football Club from Aus 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw in regular time. Eleven Brothers walked away with N.dollars 15 000, a floating trophy and 20 gold medals. Desert Horses received N.dollars 10 000 and 20 silver medals.

Running Stars from Bethanie and Lafrenz Football Club from Lafrenz both walked away with N.dollars 2 500 as losing semi-finalists.

According to the tournament’s patron, local authority councillor Dawid Isaacks, the event aims to unify communities through sports and create a platform for business activity for small and medium enterprises at the village.

Officiating the tournament, Minister of Sport,
Youth and National Service, Agnes Tjongarero, urged the young people of the village to embrace education, citing that it is the key to unlocking opportunities and shaping their destiny.

‘Let us strive for excellence in everything we do, knowing that each small step forward contributes to the progress of our nation. You are the future leaders of Namibia and your potential is limitless. As we celebrated our independence, let us also reflect on the responsibilities that come with it and it is up to each one of us to work towards a better future for ourselves and for our country,’ Tjongarero said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The University of Namibia (UNAM) rugby club put up an impressive second-half performance to overcome league-defending champions Trustco United 31-17 in their second fixture of the Namibia Rugby Premier League (NRPL).

The 2024 NRPL season kicked off a fortnight ago with UNAM and United winning their league openers.

At the UNAM Stadium on Saturday, Trustco United dominated the first 40 minutes of the match but missed a penalty and several chances to score a try earlier on in the match.

With numerous missed opportunities the visitors found their foot and capitalized on UNAM’s handling errors, winning possession, and scoring their first try but missed the conversion and failed to increase their lead to seven points.

The home team UNAM had a well-organised defence which did its best to keep United at bay but within minutes running down, United once again managed to put more points on the scoreboard with their second try of the match after a hard-fought battle with the UNAM defence.

United once again
failed to convert from their try, ending the first half with a 10-0 scoreline in their favour.

In the second half, it was all about the home team UNAM who managed to run in four tries while dominating play as United was a shadow of their first-half performance.

In the second half, UNAM started strong and scored their first try just six minutes in, outplaying the United defence.

United quickly responded with a try of their own, but UNAM’s players showed a revived fighting spirit and managed to score three more tries along with a penalty as they used all mistakes from their opponents to pile up points on the scoreboard.

Raschano van Rooi was in great form, converting all UNAM’s tries and scoring a penalty, Alcino Izaacz scored two tries, while Shareave Titus and Berry Gande each scored one try.

Trustco United only managed to score three tries through Jandre Esterhuyzen, Hanreco van Zly, and Callie Swanepoel, with Lorenzo Louis converting only one of them.

In other Premier League matches played on Saturday
, Grootfontein collected points away from home with a 39-13 win against Dolphins in Swakopmund. Meanwhile, Wanderers overcame stiff competition from Kudus with a 35-25 win in Windhoek, and Reho Falcons defeated their visiting opponents, Western Suburbs, 23-17 in Rehoboth.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency