Otniel Hembapu
This year’s edition of the popular Dr Hage Geingob Cup is set to make a reinvigorating return to the Namibian sporting calendar with some jumbo rugby action, which will see the World Cup-bound Welwitschias locking horns with South Africa’s Griquas.
The Cup, which honours and celebrates the life and times of President Geingob as well as his immense contribution towards the overall development of sport and the country’s youth, will take place at the Hage Geingob Stadium on 5 November.
In its initial stages, the competition strictly featured football activities but the disruption of the local sporting calendar between 2020 and 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic saw organisers restructuring the competition into a social investment initiative to assist local communities.
In 2020, the Dr Hage Geingob Cup, along with its stakeholders, organised a nationwide donation project that was aimed at uplifting and supporting different old age homes and various maternity shelters across the country.
This initiative was put in place to support the different groups of society that were affected by the pandemic, especially the three maternity shelters in the Zambezi and Kavango regions.
Last year, the competition’s organisers and stakeholders decided to direct all efforts and funds toward orphanage homes countrywide as well as maternity shelters.
For this year, and largely thanks to the subsided Covid-19 pandemic, the cup will return with rugby action, which is primarily aimed at preparing the Welwitschias for next year’s World Cup in France.
The 2022 Dr Hage Geingob Cup will officially be launched this morning in the capital, and tickets to the main event are available from Webticket Namibia at N$40 for adults, N$20 for teens and free for children under 12 years of age.
This event is made possible by MTC, Windhoek Draught and Bank Windhoek.
– ohembapu@nepc.com.na