The Kapako Constituency Youth Forum hosted a football and netball tournament at Sinzogoro village in the Kavango West Region over the weekend, with 24 football teams and 5 netball teams competing.
Matches started on Saturday and ran throughout the weekend as community teams competed for cash prizes.
In football, Leevi Hakusembe Secondary School Team A won first place and a prize of N$3 000 while Bilbao’s from Gcamade village finished second, earning N$2 500. Time Boys from Kayirayira village placed third, taking N$1 800, and Deadly Boy from Gcamade village secured fourth spot, winning N$700.
In netball, Leevi Hakusembe SS Team A again led the field, winning first place and N$2 000, with Bunya Combined School finishing second with N$1 500.
Leevi Hakusembe SS Team B claimed third place and N$1 000, while Sinzogoro Combined School placed fourth, earning N$500.
Closing the event, Kapako Constituency councillor Augustinus Kupembona praised the planning of the event by the Kapako Constituency Youth Forum and appealed for sustained investment in local sport.
Kupembona linked the tournament to national priorities, saying sport supports the sixth National Development Plan, particularly Pillar 2 on Human Development and Community Resilience.
He called for building a self-resilient sports sector through coach and referee training, functioning club structures, facility maintenance, year-round competitions, and life-skills support for athletes.
He urged the youth forum and the community to stage events regularly and to commercialise sport to benefit local vendors and small businesses.
Kupembona also highlighted sport’s role in public health and in keeping youth away from alcohol and substance abuse, crime and idleness. He encouraged coaches to pursue certification and parents to support both sport and schooling. “To the youth, remember that discipline, humility and perseverance will carry you far,” he said, adding that his office stands ready to support future initiatives.
He closed by calling for continued attendance and cooperation to strengthen Kapako’s sports calendar and community participation. -Nampa