Zebaldt Ngaruka
The third edition of the Omaheke Top 20 football and netball competition will kickoff today at the Khomasdal Stadium in Windhoek.
The tournament is played by 20 village teams from Aminuis, Epukiro, Otjinene and Otjombinde, with provision for one invitational team.
Ngatuuane Hange, one of the competition organisers, said the Gobabis’s Legare Stadium in Gobabis is not in good condition to host the competition, and that led to moving the tournament to Windhoek.
“The lack of sports facilities in Omaheke remains a challenge, and we relied on Legare, which is still recovering after it hosted the Nedbank Namibia Newspaper Cup in March,” said Hange.
He added that the competition is one of the region’s big events, where rural teams get to expose their talent. “Since its inception, our players have been spotted by scouts, and some are now playing premier league football. Others are even plying their trade in foreign leagues in South Africa and Botswana,” stated the organiser.
An amount of N$35 000, in addition to trophies and medals courtesy of Jacqueline Investment will be up for grabs for the winners in both categories. “We have allocated N$25 000
to the football category, while netball teams will battle it out for N$10 000,” added Hange.
Asked whether premier league players will be allowed to feature in their villages’ prestigious showpiece, the organiser said no.
“Our prime aim is to give the opportunity to the upcoming rural footballers to be seen by scouts since the elite league’s season is over. We will not allow premier leaque players to participate. They should rather rally behind their villages in terms of advising and mentoring youngsters,” Hange emphasised. Otjozondjupa region’s Evara United, based in Gam, is this year’s invitational team.