Zebaldt Ngaruka
OKATUMBA GATE – The Gam settlement in the Otjozondjupa region is set to be a hive of activity this weekend as football, netball and horse racing will take centre-stage. Participants from Namibia and Botswana will be competing against each other in the Gam Festive Season Sports Extravaganza.
First up on Saturday will be the netball and football All Stars teams from the two neighbouring countries competing against each other at the Gam Sports Field.
All Stars teams comprise players selected from different villages in a constituency to form a single team.
The tournament is sponsored by Otjozondjupa governor James Uerikua, and organised by the Namibia Rural Sports Development Federation.
Tsumkwe and Botswana are the tournament guests, with one football and one netball team each.
Hosts Gam will have two teams represented in both sports codes, while Eiseb Block has two football teams and one netball team.
Epukiro will complete the line-up with one team each in the two categories.
An amount of N$10 000 will be shared among the netball winners, in addition to a trophy and medals. The winners will get N$3 000 and the runners-up N$2 000. In the football category, the teams will vie for a N$15 000 cash prize and medals.
The winners will collect N$7 000, runners-up N$5 000 and the third-placed team will take home N$3 000.
The one-day tournament will be played in a round-robin format.
On Sunday, the action switches to horse racing, and close to 50 horses will participate in the third edition of the extravaganza at the Gam Turf.
The event is being held under the auspices of the Namibia Horse Racing Association (NHRA), and is themed ‘Development and Togetherness Through Sports’.
Governor Uerikua, who hails from the settlement, has availed an amount of N$100 000 in sponsorship towards the horse racing competition.
There will be 12 plates, and the main races will be 1 600 metres (m) for the Nambred horses, whereas the Thoroughbred is 1 800 metres, which is also the last race of the competition.
Racing stables from Aminuis, Ovitoto, Epukiro, Otjinene, Rehoboth, Tsjaka, Okakarara and Otjombinde will be participating in the last horse racing event of the year.
The top thoroughbred horse from Gam, Happiness Is, owned by governor Uerikua, is expected to shine on his turf. Seasonal horses like Sunny Side; Boma; First Come, First Serve; Cut the Corner; Black Beauty; and Chief Helmet are expected to participate.
At the gate, adults will pay N$50, while children and cars will be charged N$10, and VIPs will have to fork out N$100.
There will be live musical entertainment, as well as food and drink stalls at the event.