The City of Windhoek, in partnership with Khomas Regional Schools Sports, hosted the annual Under-13 Mayoral Cup games at the Khomasdal Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday. The ultimate objective of the event is to create sporting ventures that will benefit locals and introduce young people to the world of sports.
Saturday's one-day event saw a considerable number of parents supporting and cheering for their young ones, with a total of thirty-eight schools competing in several sports codes such as volleyball, netball, and soccer.
City of Windhoek Councillor Austin Kwenani, who is also the Chairperson of Economic Development, Public Safety, and Citizen's Welfare, spoke about the objectives of the occasion and gave his assessment of the event. He expressed excitement.
"It took us two to three years of COVID where young people were confined into one space. So when we have opportunities such as this to bring out and get entertainment for them, it's a good thing for them. Of course, there are skills involved because as a nation, we need to start to groom and train these young people when they are still young to keep them together.''
He further stated that such events are of utmost importance because they unite young people and take proactive measures.
In an interview with NBC Sport, the Khomas Regional Schools Sports Treasurer Vehonga Tjiroze spoke about the significance of the event, with an emphasis on the advancement of the youngsters in sport.
"Our objective is to nurture talent and bring back school sport the way it was and involve parents most importantly. We want the public to realize that school is not just about academics; the child needs to develop holistically."
The Manager for Parks, Sports, Recreation, and Cemeteries at the Windhoek Municipality, Uakazuvaka Kazombiaze, highlighted the Municipality's involvement in the event. He also mentioned some of the obstacles they encountered while organizing the event and how they succeeded in making it happen.
"There are a lot of challenges that the city is dealing with in terms of life-threatening. So that's the other aspect. But you know, sports everywhere, you don't get enough or sufficient budgeting. But with the little we have, we make it happen. The logistics are quite straightforward. We buy the medals and we feed the kids. This year, we fed like 500 learners. Things must be done. You go out there, you get quotations, and also request discounts on products."
According to the event officials, the competition serves as an opportunity to select the best players to form part of the team for the inter-municipal squad.