The eighth edition of the Hage Geingob Cup was officially launched in Windhoek on Wednesday, as the tournament was moved to rugby from its original football format.
The Welwitschias will play South Africa’s Griquas, who have two Namibian players in their squad, on 05 November 2022 at the Hage Geingob Stadium.
Announcing the change at the launch, the chairperson of the organisers Amos Shiyuka said they decided to move the cup from football to rugby as a way to help the Welwitschias prepare for next year’s 2023 Rugby World Cup.
“Initially the tournament was a football event, but you must also remember that the president (Geingob) is a patron of rugby, as much as he is a patron of football. Coincidentally, this stadium is named after him, and the house of rugby at the moment is doing well,” Shiyuka said, adding that the current mayhem in football had no role to play in the shifting of the tournament.
He noted that the Welwitschias did the country proud by qualifying seven successive times for the world cup, hence the expectations are that the team can now compete and win matches at the global event.
Speaking at the same occasion, Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service Agnes Tjongarero said the tournament had in the past contributed immensely to alleviating socio-economic problems faced by the country.
“When the nation faced the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hage Geingob Cup supported maternity shelters across the country and orphanages countrywide. This time around the tournament will benefit the team in the form of preparations,” she said.
The sports minister called on Namibians to come and cheer their local heroes as they embark on their 2023 World Cup journey.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Presidential Press Secretary Alfredo Hengari, Geingob said the cup is a reflection of his passion for sports as it is about discipline, hard work, health and commitment.
“These are things that are important for our country. Rugby is a diverse sport and he (Geingob) is as comfortable speaking about rugby as he is when he talks about football, tennis or cricket,” Hengari said.
Both teams are sponsored by Namibia Breweries through the Windhoek Draught brand.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
