Football extravaganza attracts young talent

Tobias Hainyeko Primary School won the overall N$20,000 Crown Build-It make-over prize after a one-day football extravaganza held at the NFA Technical Centre over the weekend.

More than 1000 pupils, teachers and parents converged at the Centre in Katutura for the first phase of the Crown Build-It Schools under-13 seven-aside competition that involved 16 Windhoek primary schools.

Tobias Hainyeko Primary managed to bag most points during the event to win the make-over prize from Crown Build-It, despite losing 2-1 on the penalties in the final match against Olaf Palme Primary School.

The one-day event started off with the group stages.Theo Katjimune and Michelle Mclean came out tops from Group A with seven and six points respectively while Moses van der Byl Primary School and Gammams were atop of Group B.

Group C had Berthold Himumuine and Olaf Palme Primary Schools into the quarterfinals, ahead of Havana and Otjomuise Primary Schools. Tobias Hainyeko and Namibia Primary Schools took top honors from Group D to move into the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals, Himumuine were 3-1 winners over Gammams; Van der Byl 0-2 Palme; Hainyeko 1-0 Mclean and Katjimune 1-0 over Namibia Primary School. In the semifinals, Palmer came back from goal down to win 2-1 right at the end to spark wild celebrations while their opponent in the final was Hainyeko sneaked through 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw with Katjimune in a thrilling encounter.

The final match that saw Olaf Palme win won 2-1 on penalties over Hainyeko, but it the latter who had the loudest celebrations as they won the school make-over from the building hardware giants.

The initiative is now expected to branch out to every town with Crown Build It outlets countrywide during the course of the year.