OMUTHIYA - Di-Toa Trading Enterprises has injected a whooping N$50 000 towards the hosting of a football tournament at Omuthiya, slated for end of this month.
The tourney will see 32 teams from various regions battling it out, with the overall winner guaranteed N$20 000 in cash while the runner-up will walk away with a consolation prize of N$15 000.
The 3rd and 4th-placed teams will take home N$10 000 and N$5000 respectively.
Registration foer the tournament could cost each participating team N$2000.
According to the chief sponsor and organiser Usiel !Haoseb, the two-day tourney is open to all teams countrywide, expect those campaigning in the country’s flagship football league, the MTC Namibia Premier League (NPL). “This is mainly for upcoming teams that still need to establish themselves, because usually most of these teams do not have adequate training gear and playing kits – hence our resolve to put up higher amounts for the winners in order to enable them to do something tangible with the earnings whilst sustaining themselves,” charged !Haoseb.
“The tournament will be split into two weekends as result of a crowded fixture congestion, which also obliged organisers to downsize the duration of matches to 30 minutes instead of 60.
“On the decisive weekend, only teams that got through to the semi-finals will return to Omuthiya with accommodation to be provided for the visiting teams,” stated !Haoseb, a police officer by profession.
This is the first event to be organised under the auspices of Di-Toa Trading Enterprises, but organisers say subsequent tournaments could be of a higher standard and the next edition could possibly be hosted at Oshakati. !Haoseb said for the upcoming tournament, the over winner prize will increase to N$25 000 and again to N$30 000. He also indicated that, as time goes on he will also include activities such as volleyball and netball.
The company operates as a non-governmental organisation with the primary aim of assisting the needy – hence these gatherings are a form of fundraising. There will be live DJs and artistes performing during the activities. !Haoseb remains adamant this is not just a money-making scheme as claimed in some circles.
“In the past, there has been an incident where a little-known tournament sponsor vanished into thin air with money without a single ball being kicked, this after teams have registered, leading to aspiring entrants to be sceptical to participate in random tournaments,” concluded.