Regions state their case for hosting of Namibian Newspaper Cup

WINDHOEK, 30 JUL  – Four regions on Monday made their presentations to the organisers of The Namibian Newspaper Cup for the hosting of the tournament in 2019 and 2020.
Oshana and Hardap presented their bids for 2019, while Omaheke and Kavango East presented for 2020.
The organisers said the //Kharas Region, which was expected to bid for 2019 and 2020, failed to show up, which means they have automatically withdrawn their intention to host the games.
Presenting the bid for Oshana, Beatus Nandango declared his team’s readiness to host the next edition of the tournament, which now also involves a girls’ Under-20 tournament.
“We want to host one of the best Newspaper Cup tournaments you have ever seen. We have the facilities ready to welcome all the participants. Oshakati Stadium has previously hosted high profile events,” he said.
His competitor, Hardap Regional Football Chairperson Michael Situde said the region deserves to host the next edition of the games as it has all the attributes to organise good games.
“We have the political blessings and since 2011, the Newspaper Cup has been circulating in the northern and central parts of the country. We are therefore asking the committee to allow the south to host it this time around,” Situde said.
He added that Mariental is the perfect venue for The Namibian Newspaper Cup “because everyone in Namibia is well represented in Hardap”.
Pecka Semba, the leader of the Omaheke bid team, said his region has a proven track record in hosting successful sporting and political events.
He said come 2020, they would put up a spectacle.
“We are four-time champions of this cup. We know how to host this tournament and we know how to win it as well. The last time we hosted it, we had the stadium full of crowds throughout the tournament,” Semba said.
Kavango East said they in 2016 also proved its capability to host the event.
Engelbrecht Linyando said the region has all the required facilities, from hospitals to accommodation, as well as the numbers in terms of population.
“Kavango East will not disappoint if offered the opportunity to host the Newspaper Cup in 2020. We did it in 2016 and we want to do it again, this time better than before,” he stated.
The winning teams will be announced soon by the organisers.
The adjudicating teams will assess the regions’ ability to provide decent accommodation for the players and officials, good facilities (especially having a stadium with artificial or natural grass, a minimum capacity to seat 2 000 people, suitable lighting for night games, as well as a public address system), and the political will to host the tournament.
They will also look at the availability of other services such as the availability of shopping malls or complexes, catering, transport and communication.
(NAMPA)