Good progress for athletes in Jamaica

Namibia’s five athletes currently based in Jamaica are making good progress towards becoming competitive for the 2016 Olympic Games. This is the report given by coach Letu Hamhola, who left with the group to study in Jamaica. Contacted on Friday, the coach, who is back in Namibia following the death of his mother, said that the athletes - Hitjivirue Kaanjuka (100m and 200m), Tjipekapora Herunga (200m and 400m), Lilanné Klaasman (100m and 400m hurdles), Globine Mayova (100m and 200m) and Dantago Gurirab (100m and 200m) – have adapted well to the conditions on the Caribbean island nation. “Jamaica has been a change of environment for them and it has been a step up for the athletes as they now train with high-level athletes,” Hamhola told Namibian Sun. “But they have adapted quite well thanks to reception and treatment they have received in the country.” While the athletes are working their way towards reaching peak condition for the 2016 Olympic Games, they have also been afforded the chance to study at the University of Technology in Jamaica. Already some positives have come out of this, with Hamhola reporting that some of the athletes have received diplomas. “As we speak some of them got diplomas in their course yesterday [on Thursday],” he said. “So that is already a highlight for us with the hope being that they’ll return with degrees when they are done in 2016.” Hamhola further explained that there have been some benchmarks that the athletes will have to reach in order to gauge their progress. Some of these events include the All Africa Games, which will be staged in Brazzaville, Congo and the World Athletics Championships, which are set for Beijing, China, next year. “We are hoping during those events you will be able to see improved performances by our athletes,” he said. The coach rubbished reports that more athletes are due to leave for Jamaica in the near future but said this is something they are considering. “We are trying to add to the numbers but at this stage there is nothing because of the technicalities involved,” he said. “Since the Caribbean and American countries are known for their strong relay showing, we would like to send a relay running group made up of both male and female teams. “Obviously, they would also have to be younger athletes who could improve over time,” he added. WINDHOEK-HECTOR MAWONGA