WINDHOEK, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Under-17 Khomas regional football team is set to participate in the 2024 Yangzhou China Grand Canal Cities Men's Elite Youth Football Tournament.

According to Gabriel Katuuo, a regional sports officer in Namibia's Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service, the team, consisting of 20 players from schools in Namibia's central Khomas region, will be traveling to Jiangsu Province in China on Saturday.

The team is scheduled to play three matches at the tournament, which will be held from October 20 to 28, 2024.

Risto Shikomba, the team's head coach, said that the team has been practicing since September this year to improve their fitness level and ball-handling skills.

"They have played about ten friendly games and have selected the best players to represent Namibia and foster friendly relations between Namibia and China," he said Friday.

Meanwhile, one of the players, Robhino van Wyk, expressed excitement about visiting China for the first time and playing on an international platform.

"Participating in the tournament will help him enhance his football skills and gain new insights into the game. Not only that, we look forward to exploring China," he said.

According to Laura McLeod-Katjirua, the governor of the Khomas Region, Namibia's participation follows an invitation from the Jiangsu Province as part of efforts to cement ties with Namibia.

"Sports unites and presents many opportunities for growth for people-to-people China-Namibia relations and empowerment, especially for the youth. This opportunity is evidence of the friendship of Namibia and China," she said.

China's Jiangsu province and Namibia's Khomas region signed a work plan in April this year focusing on six programs for the next five years. These include health, education, scholarships, investment promotion, and youth exchange programs, aiming to strengthen ties between the two sides.

The work plan is the result of an agreement signed on June 19, 2015, between the Khomas region and the Jiangsu province and another agreement signed with the Khomas Regional Council in 2023. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)