RUNDU - Local organisers are tomorrow set to launch a new sports tournament named the Gciriku Annual Tournament
(GATO), which will see participating teams compete in football, netball and various traditional sport activities such
as Butu which is famous amongst the Kavango communities.

Butu is a traditional sport which is played by throwing or attempting to hit fellow participants with a ball while they are
busy filling up an empty bottle with sand. The tournament’s actual dates are set for 17-20 December at Shitemo Sports
Field in the Ndonga Linena constituency, Kavango East region. The sponsorship amount for the tournament is to the
tune of N$80 000, which is inclusive of referees appearance fees and prize monies. Registration is N$2 500 for Teams A
while Teams B will register for N$1 500 and netball teams will register for N$1 300 and N$150 for those partaking in Butu.
“The main matches will be held at the Shitemo Sports Field and a total of four sports fields will be used for football. Participating teams will be required to make own transport arrangements to arrive on time before kick-off,” said event
organiser, Haushiku Kemba. “The sport tournament aims to promote rural sport development, talent identification and also to promote investment in the rural economy. The tournament will provide an opportunity for vendors from surrounding
villages to sell food and soft drinks and the allocation of stalls will be on first come first serve,” Kemba noted.

Winner of Team A category will walk away with N$38 800 and Team B category winner will get N$17 600 while the winning
netball team gets to take home N$13 600 and the Butu winner will get N$800. “This is not a Vagciriku t o u r n ame n t ,
it is a Gciriku tournament in reference to the area where it is being held and any team from anywhere can participate,”
Kemba further clarified.