ONDANGWA – Kwata Cricket is growing in popularity among would-be cricketers from the northern part of the country, as the game has captured the imagination of many scholars from that neck of the woods.
With this particular development project on the horizon, Cricket Namibia will play host to an open tournament for Schools in Ondangwa, slated for the 1st of next month.
Chairperson of Cricket in Oshana, Pafunisia Josua, expressed confidence that the tourney will be a bumper-packed gathering considering that the last tournament hosted in the region earlier this year attracted a record number of cricketers from various schools and says she is positive the tourney will attract double figures this time around.
Josua added that teachers from various schools in the Oshana region received basic skills on cricket from Cricket Namibia, with their respective schools the chief beneficiaries in the form of cricket equipment such as bats, balls, and helmlets, among others.
“This competition on its own is part of the ongoing cricket development in the region and the ultimate idea of this initiative to sensitise schools to grab this opportunity and expose their learners to cricket.”
However, Josua says they are faced with many challenges ranging from insufficient funds, inadequate equipment and a standard cricket pitch.
“As it stands, we do not have an adequate playing field and at the moment learners have been making use of an open field provided by the Ondangwa municipality. Nevertheless, I would like to urge all cricket-playing children to be well prepared for this competition in order to enhance their skills,” she concluded.
Kwata Cricket is played by youngsters from the age of 7 to 14 and is meant to create cricket enthusiasm and arouse the children’s interest in the sport. Reigning champions, Chris Junior from Ondangwa, are expected to be at their best if they are to defend their trophy with tough resistence expect from other participating schools.