Namibia: Karas Lobbies for Newspaper Cup

Luqman Cloete

13 June 2011

Karas governor Bernadus Clinton Swartbooi on Saturday informed the Namibia Football Association that his region intends to host The Namibian Newspaper Cup tournament next year.

The region last hosted the Newspaper Cup tournament in 2009.

In a bid presentation while officiating at the NFA consultative meeting held at Keetmanshoop, Swartbooi said the regional council dedicated resources to stage the tournament next year.

“The bid is a deliberate agenda point to pull local authorities and business industry to make investments in sports a stepping stone,” he remarked.

“We want to cash in on sports,” he added.

Swartbooi said the region’s organisation capacity to host flagship national sports events is reflected in its good track record by successfully hosting the 2009 Newspaper Cup edition as well as the 2011 Nalasra games.

Local economy injection, sports development, promotion of unity among diverse cultures, sports infrastructure and skills development are the motivating factors behind the region’s bid, he noted.

“By hosting the newspaper cup tournament we want to leave a legacy of sports infrastructure development,” he added.

Highlighting security fencing as a challenge, Swartbooi said plans are afoot to upgrade the Keetmanshoop stadium to the required standards.

“You (NFA) will be shocked, we will be laughing and the people will love it,” he said, referring to how the stadium would look like after a facelift.

NFA president John Muinjo said there is a need for infrastructure development in football.

“Government must come on board to bring infrastructure development,” said Muinjo, adding no infrastructure development negatively impacts sports development.

Muinjo said the enthusiasm Swartbooi had shown during this year’s youth football tournament in Gobabis led to NFA’s decision to hold its consultative meeting at Keetmanshoop on Saturday.

The early bid presentation and the latter statement is seen as tipping the balance in favour of Karas Region to host next year’s newspaper cup.

At a welcoming dinner at Keetmanshoop on Friday night, the town’s mayor Moses Titus also voiced his support for the Karas Region hosting next year’s Newspaper Cup tournament.

He pledged that the regional leadership will join hands in upgrading all sport facilities to the required standards.

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