OSHAKATI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Mass football tournaments have bloomed across rural Namibia over the festive season to enliven community engagement and uplift grassroots sports.

At Oniimwandi village, Oshana region in Namibia's north, Shakes John scored a goal, securing his team a spot in the semifinals of the Oniimwandi Annual Tournament, a local competition.

For young players like John, participating in the tournaments allows him to tap into other players' best practices.

"No small feat, but an exciting one against a strong defense, gaining new tactics from this match, which I will take further into the future games," said the 17-year-old striker on Thursday.

Sem David, organizer of the Oniimwandi tournament, said that the aim was to promote sports development in remote areas amid limited sporting facilities and opportunities for rural youth. Now in its seventh edition this year, the number of teams has grown to 12, compared to three teams from when the tournament started.

"This is meant to be a gateway for continuous expansion and see how to align with the country's endeavors to advance football as a catalyst for progress. Thus, even now in its 7th edition, we re-commit to host it yearly," said David.

In addition to physical activity and healthy competition among dwellers, the sporting events also created a platform to identify talent.

Eliakim Shikwambi, a coach of a village football team from Onakapya village in the Oshana region, said his team traveled over 30 kilometers to participate in a local tournament.

For Shikwambi, tournaments promote local talent and provide networking opportunities at the grassroots.

"But most importantly, to influence positive change, shift mindset, expose the youth in rural areas to new opportunities, and broaden their understanding of the dynamics and rules of football," Shikwambi said.

Meanwhile, according to David, the tournament looks to revive community camaraderie.

"To bridge the interaction gaps between those who have been away in urban areas due to work and those who remain, and foster unity," he added.

Moreover, aspirant entrepreneurs maximize the influx of visitors and participants that inject much-needed revenue into these rural areas. Selma Tomas sold some food and items at the tournament to generate an income to help meet household needs.

Grassroots tournaments over the festive season are not new, said local sports expert and coach Shoe Tshoonambo.

"The exact number of grassroots tournaments held during the festive season is unknown, but what stands out is the skills transfer, longevity, relevance, and growth over the year," he said.

According to him, the tournaments address gaps and challenges of village youth playing matches barefoot or sharing soccer boots because they cannot afford such, which locals or companies can sponsor. In a ripple effect, teams also invest prizes won into empowering the young rural players.

"Local coaches attend to scout fresh skills for the regional and national leagues. It works; we had village stars who have transformed and went on to play at the national level," he added.

In the interim, David hopes to diversify the tournament to include other sports codes such as volleyball, netball and athletics. Enditem

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