Team Namibia win 46 medals in Stellenbosch
Namibian athletes with disabilities won 46 medals at the recently concluded South African Toyota Disability Sport Championships in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
The South Africa Sport Association for the Physically Disabled and Visually Impaired (SASAPD) national championships took place between 18 to 21 March.
The SASAPD competition was used by Namibian athletes as a qualifier for the 2019 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships set for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates between 7 and 15 November.
Team Namibia won 32 gold, 11 silver and three bronze medals. On the opening day of the championships, Team Namibia won two medals in swimming, while on the second day they won 13 medals, comprising of 11 gold and two bronze.
During the third day of the competition Namibian athletes continued with their winning ways as they added five gold, six silver and one bronze medal to their tally.
On the last day of the championships the team collected 19 more medals, of which 14 were gold and five silver.
The gold medals were won by elite athletes Ananias Shikongo, Johannes Nambala, Mateus Angula, Lahja Ishitile and Reginald Benade.
Upcoming athletes Silvia Shivolo, Bradley Murere, Dian Jensen, Christopher Marungu, Petrus Karuli, and Alfredo 'The Bullet' Bernado also contributed to the winning of the gold medals.
A group of 21 athletes competed in athletics (track and field) and swimming at these championships that where held at the Coetzenburg athletics stadium.
Michael Hamukwaya, who is the coach as well as the secretary-general of the Namibia Paralympic Committee, said with enough support, this group of athletes can do more.
“We have a group of young athletes who are hungry to perform for their country, but this can only happen if we get enough support. Our focus at the moment is the IPC athletics world championships later this year, where we want to defend the medals we won in London in 2017,” he said.
The coach added that for these athletes win they need to be in a camp for at least two to three months, so they perfect all the techniques.
Hamukwaya added that if the team does not get the needed support from government, they will end up just participating at events instead of competing.
“Paralympics always does well at competitions, but it's about time the government as well as the corporate world starts investing more in these athletes,” he said.
NAMPA
The South Africa Sport Association for the Physically Disabled and Visually Impaired (SASAPD) national championships took place between 18 to 21 March.
The SASAPD competition was used by Namibian athletes as a qualifier for the 2019 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships set for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates between 7 and 15 November.
Team Namibia won 32 gold, 11 silver and three bronze medals. On the opening day of the championships, Team Namibia won two medals in swimming, while on the second day they won 13 medals, comprising of 11 gold and two bronze.
During the third day of the competition Namibian athletes continued with their winning ways as they added five gold, six silver and one bronze medal to their tally.
On the last day of the championships the team collected 19 more medals, of which 14 were gold and five silver.
The gold medals were won by elite athletes Ananias Shikongo, Johannes Nambala, Mateus Angula, Lahja Ishitile and Reginald Benade.
Upcoming athletes Silvia Shivolo, Bradley Murere, Dian Jensen, Christopher Marungu, Petrus Karuli, and Alfredo 'The Bullet' Bernado also contributed to the winning of the gold medals.
A group of 21 athletes competed in athletics (track and field) and swimming at these championships that where held at the Coetzenburg athletics stadium.
Michael Hamukwaya, who is the coach as well as the secretary-general of the Namibia Paralympic Committee, said with enough support, this group of athletes can do more.
“We have a group of young athletes who are hungry to perform for their country, but this can only happen if we get enough support. Our focus at the moment is the IPC athletics world championships later this year, where we want to defend the medals we won in London in 2017,” he said.
The coach added that for these athletes win they need to be in a camp for at least two to three months, so they perfect all the techniques.
Hamukwaya added that if the team does not get the needed support from government, they will end up just participating at events instead of competing.
“Paralympics always does well at competitions, but it's about time the government as well as the corporate world starts investing more in these athletes,” he said.
NAMPA
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