Namibian gymnasts gain experience at Belgium Happy Cup

Namibian Gymnastics Federation (NGF) and Elite Rhythmic Gymnastics Club recently fielded eight gymnasts for the 27th edition of the Happy Cup held in Ghent, Belgium, who came away with invaluable experience.The International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) showpiece saw Namibia’s gymnasts go up against the finest from around the world.The competition included participants from Belgium, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Croatia, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Bulgaria.Namibia’s gymnasts were accompanied by NGF rhythmic section coordinator Britt Adonis-Byl and coach Roumiana Kostin, who both officiated at the global showpiece as experienced FIG Brevet judges, along with the section’s media liaison and coach, Eleonora Karamfilova.Gymnasts’ performancesNamibia’s outstanding performances saw Zara Duchaine (U9 category), who competed alongside the national team as an individual gymnast from Elite, secure a gold medal in the ball apparatus. She also secured fifth place overall.Another gymnast competing from Elite was Jayd Pretorius (Pre-Junior U12), who was ranked 11th on clubs, 21st on hoop and 21st overall.Kenandjo Mupia (Junior) from the national team competed in a non-FIG section and secured a bronze medal on ribbon, achieving 13th position on clubs, 15th on hoop and 13th overall.Other gymnasts were Faiza Hamutenya (Junior non-FIG), who achieved 10th on hoop, 21st on ribbon, 23rd on ball and 19th overall, with Gabriella Mouton (Junior non-FIG) achieving 11th on hoop, 22nd on ball, 24th on ribbon and 22nd overall.Christina Theron (Junior non-FIG) achieved 14th on clubs, 23rd on ribbon and 25th on ball and overall.Kayla Duchaine, competing in the FIG Junior, tallied 17th on ribbon, 17th on hoop, 19th on ball, 20th on clubs and 18th overall.Pre-Junior gymnast Meggi Shiweda achieved fifth place on hoop and 11th on ribbon and overall.‘Higher future motivation’Reflecting on the event upon the team’s arrival on Tuesday, coach and judge Kostin welcomed the opportunity for international participation and officiating.“The competition was well organised. The gymnasts had the opportunity to see new and interesting elements from other participants. They definitely came back with higher motivation for their training in future,” she said.Kostin added that apart from meeting old friends and making new ones, the event was a crucial platform to learn new skills on how to improve coaching and uplift rhythmic gymnastics in Namibia.“[The Happy Cup] was an excellent opportunity for the preparation of the Region 5 Gymnastics tournament in Windhoek next month,” she remarked.Rhythmic coordinator and judge Adonis-Byl echoed the same sentiments of the event being a crucial learning platform for gymnasts, coaches and judges alike.“Having the opportunity to judge with international judges is essential for the development of the sport in Namibia and Africa as a whole. Just as our athletes need exposure, so do our judges,” she said.Huge skillset gapReflecting on the tournament, coach Karamfilova expressed pride in all the gymnasts who took part in the event, going up against experienced gymnasts from around the world who have seen countless international stages.“I had one of the judges from Morocco [Soukaina El Idrissi Dafali] come tell me how she has followed the journey of our gymnasts from the African championships and last year’s Happy Cup.“She was quite impressed with their growth since then. It fills my heart with joy to have experienced professionals on one of the biggest stages in the world acknowledge our country’s growth in the sport,” she recounted.She added that one of the key factors affecting the gymnasts’ growth is the lack of competitions to benchmark their skills against, besides their local counterparts.Karamfilova also congratulated Zara Duchaine on her gold medal and Kenandjo on her bronze medal from the event that has witnessed such a big difference in skillset.The gymnasts’ participation was made possible by sponsorships from Schaaprust Lodging and Camping, Checkers Namibia and the Pretorius family.– mariud@nsh.com.na

Namibian gymnasts gain experience at Belgium Happy Cup

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-02

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Namibian gymnasts gain experience at Belgium Happy Cup

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Namibian Sun 2026-04-02

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