First National Bank (FNB) Namibia officially launched the 19th edition of the school sports series, Classic Clashes, one of Namibia's most anticipated school sporting events, in Windhoek on Wednesday.
The 2026 edition began on 10 June and will conclude on 1 August, featuring basketball, football, netball and rugby competitions across the country. A total of 46 schools will participate in this year's tournament.
According to FNB Head of Investments, Ziggy Muinjo, the bank remains deeply committed to youth development and community upliftment through grassroots sport. "We firmly believe in the power and potential of the youth, and we are rooted in the belief that in order for our youth to succeed tomorrow, they require support today. Our commitment to sport runs deep and has come a long way because, beyond the health and wellness benefits, sport has the power to unite, inspire and uplift young people and their communities," he said.
He further stated that sport gives young people a sense of belonging and purpose while teaching discipline, resilience, teamwork and shared responsibility, qualities the bank believes every young person deserves the opportunity to learn both inside and outside the classroom. "That is why we are proud to support the Classic Clashes," said Muinjo.
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FNB has committed N$1.6 million towards this year's Classic Clashes and wished all participating teams the best of luck, while encouraging them to dream fearlessly.
The opening match of the clashes was a girls' basketball fixture between host school Windhoek High School and Windhoek International School with the latter securing a 26-18 victory.
WIS player, Priye Kali said they did their best by incorporating the plays they did at practice, which proved quite difficult as they were facing the sun.
"We were very intimidated by the number of players, compared to us as we didn't have a full team, but we still made it work and won," she said. The bank expressed pride in its longstanding partnership with Classic Clashes and the positive impact the initiative continues to have on the lives of young athletes across the country.
The growing popularity of the tournament has resulted in increased interest from schools across Namibia seeking participation opportunities. In response, the 2026 edition will serve as the final year of guaranteed participation for the current cohort of schools involved in the FNB Classic Clashes.
From 2027 onwards, both existing and prospective schools will be invited to express their interest in participating, with selections to be made according to established criteria.
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