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Home / Omeya 80th year remembrance rakes in big bucks… Doeseb to announce NPL sponsorship this week
Omeya 80th year remembrance rakes in big bucks… Doeseb to announce NPL sponsorship this week
2016-10-03Staff Report 2 Walvis Bay The revamped Kuisebmond Stadium in Walvis Bay resembled a well-decorated Christmas tree, as hundreds of people flocked into the giant white tent to witness arguably the biggest off-the-field gathering in recent times. MTC Premiership giants Blue Waters, aka ‘Omeya’ (meaning ‘water’) held its 80th anniversary celebrations in fine style – and what an awesome event it turned out to be. The colourful gathering attracted the who’s who in social circles, including high-profile parliamentarians, current and retired businesspeople, footballers (past and present), as well as the club’s followers, as management took the revellers down memory lane. Speaker after speaker paid rave tribute and accolades to the unsurpassed achievements of this great football club that also houses netball and cricket disciplines under its banner. In his keynote address one the club’s pioneers, Dr Ben Amathila, a Swapo stalwart and former Blue Waters player, urged the current crop of footballers to emulate the feats of the former players during the club’s infant years. The likable and articulate politician (retired) minced no words as he emphasised the importance of football amongst the youth. “I would like to urge club management to lure all the best footballers to the Birds’ nest if we are to rekindle the club’s legacy and in the process attract lucrative financial partners. “Potential sponsors will not put their money on losers, because nobody wants to associate themselves with losers. I’m sending out a challenge to management to go out and sign good players. Make the Blue Waters brand what it has been known for back in the day”. Amathila said the club needed to introduce good structures if they were to emulate the feats of their forebears. “It should be noted that during our time we were somehow privileged, because we were exposed to learning the latest techniques about the game through foreign influence. “We benefited massively from the expertise of sailors anchored at our port from Norway, Spain and Japan. These blokes certainly brought a new dimension to our rusty style of play and exposed us to European standards while passing those skills onto us.” Amathila added that despite Namibia's relatively small population, football has put the country on the international map in many respects. He applauded the club's principal sponsor, Länger Heinrich Uranium Mine, and urged other companies to follow suit. The evening ended with pledges from the floor, with staunch members falling over their feet as they tried to outbid each other – much the delight of those in attendance. Close to N$300 000 was collected through various pledges. At the same occasion, under-fire NPL chairman Johnny ‘JJD’ Doeseb, in delivering his congratulatory message stunned the crowd when he let slip that he would be announcing a new sponsorship for the premier league during the course of the week. “I will be announcing a new sponsorship this week, obviously not the expected nine million dollar but I can assure you, football will start very soon.” 2016-10-03Staff Report 2
