WINDHOEK – The town of Usakos will this weekend be a hive of activity when the 5th edition of the popular Orano & Engen 1Stop Usakos Sports and Entertainment Annual Festival returns to the banks of the north-western small town.
The event, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, is regarded one of the most popular events in the Erongo and keeps growing in popularity from edition to edition. It is the hunting ground for coaches and scouts from the top teams in the elite leagues of the country.
This was where the likes of current Brave Warriors and Life Fighters’ striker, Isaskar ‘Bio’ Gurirab, and others were discovered. The event is also where the likes of Terdius Uiseb (Tigers FC), Amos Iyambo (Orlando Pirates), Emilio Martin, and many others frequent to share their expertise with those still coming through the ranks.
Businesswoman and philanthropist, Irene Simeon-Kurtz, who is one of the main sponsors of the event, shared her excitement for the upcoming weekend and encouraged the athletes to give their best, and be good sporting examples on and off the field.
“You can be highly talented, but without respect, dedication and hard-work, you won’t reach your full potential.” She told the gathering at a recently held launch of the event at the town.
The event was started in 2015, and had only about 16 teams competing for the championship, which was eventually won by Karibib FC. The number of the participating teams increased during the years that followed, with last year having more than 30 teams, from across five regions (Erongo, Hardap, Otjozondjupa, Khomas and Kunene), doing battle.
However, it seemed that Imcor Chiefs from Uis was the best of the best, as they walked away with the top prize of N$14 500 in cash, plus a floating trophy and medals.
The chairperson of the organising committee, Ismael //Goamusab, emphasized that there is a need for the corporate world in Namibia to invest in sports, as sports remainsone of the vehicles out of poverty, crime and other social challenges for many youth.
“We plead with companies to invest in sports, especially rural sports. All these famous sports stars came from humble backgrounds, and they reached the levels where they are today because someone, somewhere, somehow believed in them and gave them a chance,” he said.
Managing Director of Orano Mining Namibia, Hilifa Mbako, had warm welcoming regards and acknowledgements for all the sponsors.
“Yes, the corporate community also faces challenges. But, we should not shy away from giving a helping hand when the need arises. To all those that have joined us as sponsors in any form, especially Erongo Marine Enterprises, welcome. The fact that we at Orano had been part of this project since day one means that there is something good. And that something is so priceless, that we can never show it in material form. That something is the joy we feel, when you see the ball rolling, and people from different backgrounds gathered to celebrate life, in spite of their circumstances. This is more than sports. The informal vending and trading that is taking place is just amazing, and something worth applauding,” he said.
The festival also has a music bash as part of the festivities and for this year, the likes of T-Boss and Staika, Adora, Jericho, Imelda, Dezree, Slow, Pule, D-Boii and many others will be gracing the stage on Saturday night.
The registration is N$1 500 per team for soccer, and N$750 per team for netball. The winners in the soccer division will walk away with N$14 500, gold medals and a floating trophy; runner-up: N$7 500 and the semifinalists will receive N$3 000 per team.
Netball winners will take home N$5 000, trophy and medals; runner-up will receive N$2 500 and he semifinalists will pocket N$750 per team.