Windhoek: Ndoro Memorial Combined School in the Zambezi Region's Kongola Constituency concluded its inaugural school sports tournament on Sunday. The tournament attracted 10 football and five netball teams from across the constituency.
According to Namibia Press Agency, in the netball category, Side Champions scooped the first prize of N$2 000. The hosts, Ndoro Memorial, settled for second place and pocketed N$1 000, while Super Eagles walked away with N$600 for third place. In the football category, Masambo Vultures clinched the top prize of N$3 000. Runners-up Bwabwata United received N$1 500, while Kwando Legends took home N$700 for third place.
Other constituency powerhouses knocked out of the football tournament included Ndoro Memorial Combined School, Young Champions, Golden Stars, Shadow Hunters, Kyaramacan Association, Super Eagles, and Try Again. The netball tournament featured Ndoro Memorial Combined School, Side Champions, Golden Stars, Masambo Vultures, and Young Champions.
Each participating football team paid a registration fee of N$700, while netball teams paid N$400. School principal Linus Sipopo expressed gratitude for the event's success. He noted that following this inaugural edition, the school agreed to rebrand the event as the Ndoro Principal's Cup next year, with the aim of securing a corporate sponsor.
'We want to continue hosting this tournament annually. Nothing unites people better than sports, and we want to bring people together, especially the marginalised communities. We are targeting talent that will be groomed,' Sipopo said. He added that future tournaments will be bigger and better, specifically targeting out-of-school San community members living outside the Bwabwata area.
'We want to introduce more sports codes like volleyball and even boxing if all goes according to plan. We have a multipurpose hall at the school, and our new school hostel has excellent facilities that need to be utilised,' he said. The tournament featured entertainment from local musical artists such as Spinny and Green Kids, T49 Online, and Fila Boy, alongside a performance by a San cultural group. The school also hosted the Mr and Miss Ndoro Memorial Combined School beauty pageant on Saturday.