Play all the way
The sixth edition of the Skorpion Zink U/17 tournament was launched in the capital on Friday and takes place here from 23 to 26 August when defending champions – the //Kharas region – takes on opposition teams from Hardap, Omaheke, Kavango East and Oshana Regions in group B.In group A, hosts Khomas go up against Erongo, Kunene, Zambezi and Otjozondjupa, while group C comprises Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Omusati and Kavango West.
The top three teams and the best placed runner up will qualify for the semi-finals.
Speaking at the launch, Skorpion Zinc’s Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager Nora Minsozi Ndopu said the company will spend N$1.4 million for this year’s tournament. “Six years down the line, you cannot help but appreciate the success of the U/ 17 championships. We have had about 1 700 direct beneficiaries and 3 000 allied beneficiaries,” she said.
Ndopu said the sponsor’s holding company, Vedanta, has football academies in India, which are open for young Namibian footballers to develop their football and educational skills.
At the event, Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport and National Service, Agnes Tjongarero, called on other companies to help develop sports at grassroots level, calling for the training of sports psychologists who can work on the mental health of players. “In Egypt I noticed that our players lacked the mental toughness when we needed it most. Sports psychologist are very important at that level.”
She added that in Morocco during the 2018 African Nations Championship, the Brave Warriors’ diet comprised mainly bread, meaning there are no sports dieticians in the country. – Nampa