WWC tops nationals with 30 golds

Windhoek Wrestling Club (WWC) topped the medal count at this year’s Namibian Wrestling Federation (NWF) National Championships after collecting 30 gold, 21 silver and 13 bronze medals in the capital.Hosted by WWC, the Windhoek Open doubled as the national championships and attracted 80 wrestlers from clubs across the country.Afterschool Centre Wrestling (ASCW) followed with 20 gold and 15 silver medals, while Otjiwarongo’s Palaestra Wrestling Club (PWC) marked its first national championships appearance with eight gold, two silver and three bronze medals.Swakop Atlantic Wrestling Academy (SAWA) won four gold, three silver and five bronze medals, while Roots Gymnasium Wrestling Club (RGWC) secured four gold, three silver and one bronze.Elite Wrestling and Coaching Academy (EWACA) added one gold medal.Triple-gold performersWWC’s Francois le Roux and Milan van der Merwe were the tournament’s leading individual performers with three gold medals each.Le Roux won the under-13 Greco-Roman and freestyle 30.8-33.5kg divisions before adding gold in the Presidents schools freestyle category, a separate school-age division, at the same weight.Van der Merwe topped the under-11 freestyle and Greco-Roman 34.9-38.4kg divisions, as well as the 34.9kg Presidents schools freestyle category.Among the seniors, PWC’s Shawn-Christopher Maritz collected the 77.2kg Greco-Roman and freestyle gold medals as the sole competitor in both brackets.SAWA’s Romeo Hangula took the 66.7-69.4kg senior freestyle gold ahead of ASCW’s Ndangi Sylvester Petrus.The other senior Greco-Roman gold medals went to EWACA’s Joel Tangi Iipinge in the 60.1-61.9kg division, ASCW’s Lukas Shiweda Salom at 67.8-69.4kg and clubmate Devin Benhard at 87kg. Benhard was the sole competitor in his division.Two new clubs join nationalsNWF secretary-general Anke Erasmus said the turnout was slightly lower than the just over 100 wrestlers who competed last year, but welcomed the arrival of two new clubs.“The nationals went quite well. We had 80 wrestlers competing, which was a little fewer than last year,” she said.“The good thing is that we had two new clubs competing this year. Palaestra started in the middle of last year, and these were their first competitors at the nationals, while Oshakati Wrestling also entered two wrestlers,” said Erasmus.She further noted that the Rundu wrestling club was unable to attend, while Keetmanshoop does not yet have wrestlers ready for competition after recently starting its programme.“We saw some good wrestling. The quality is picking up, the wrestlers are very dedicated to the sport and the day was a big success,” Erasmus said.The federation also unveiled redesigned, custom-made national championship medals, which were introduced at this year’s event and will be used at future editions.Senior and under-20 divisionsSenior Greco-Roman (60.1-61.9kg): 1 Joel Tangi Iipinge (EWACA), 2 Theophilus Iipinge Seveleni (ASCW); 67.8-69.4kg: 1 Lukas Shiweda Salom (ASCW), 2 Ndangi Sylvester Petrus (ASCW); 77.2kg: 1 Shawn-Christopher Maritz (PWC, sole competitor);87kg: 1 Devin Benhard (ASCW, sole competitor).Senior freestyle: 66.7-69.4kg: 1 Romeo Hangula (SAWA), 2 Ndangi Sylvester Petrus (ASCW); 77.2kg: 1 Shawn-Christopher Maritz (PWC, sole competitor).Under-20 Greco-Roman: 53.1-54.1kg: 1 Kelly Calvin Dreyer (ASCW), 2 Paulus Filemon Natangwe Alweendo (ASCW), 3 Johannes Ndokosho (SAWA); 62.5-66.4kg: 1 Ndadilepo Stefanovic Stefanus (ASCW), 2 Remore Ashwin Panizza (WWC);80.1kg: 1 Eagen Waldo Maritz (PWC, sole competitor); 104.1kg: 1 Lulwando Gaoseb (ASCW), 2 Gideon Andries Groenewald (PWC).Under-20 freestyle: 53.1kg: 1 Johannes Ndokosho (SAWA, sole competitor); 62.5kg: 1 Remore Ashwin Panizza (WWC, sole competitor); 80.1kg: 1 Eagen Waldo Maritz (PWC, sole competitor); 104.1kg: 1 Lulwando Gaoseb (ASCW), 2 Gideon Andries Groenewald (PWC).Under-17 to under-13 divisionsUnder-17 Greco-Roman: 62.9-68.9kg: 1 Petrus Haimbodi (ASCW), 2 Lisias Shipopyeni (ASCW), 3 Loyizho Keyser (WWC); 70.7kg: 1 Paul Redon Vorster (WWC, sole competitor); 102kg: 1 Rivan de Waal (PWC, sole competitor).Under-17 freestyle: 63.1-66.6kg: 1 Lisias Shipopyeni (ASCW), 2 Loyizho Cantona Keyser (WWC); 70.7kg: 1 Paul Redon Vorster (WWC, sole competitor); 102kg: 1 Rivan de Waal (PWC, sole competitor).Under-15 Greco-Roman: 34.1-37.1kg: 1 Steven Setson (ASCW), 2 Denzel Haraseb (SAWA); 63.4kg: 1 Stiaan Rossouw (WWC, sole competitor).Under-15 freestyle: 34.1-37.1kg: 1 Steven Setson (ASCW), 2 Denzel Haraseb (SAWA); 63.4-68.4kg: 1 Arno Markus Maritz (PWC), 2 Stiaan Rossouw (WWC).Under-13 Greco-Roman: 27.2-29.3kg: 1 Hadan Dante Junior Luke Gawaseb (ASCW), 2 Twakulilwa Nghilifavali Haibodi (ASCW), 3 Shambo Shambo (SAWA); 30.8-33.5kg: 1 Francois le Roux (WWC), 2 Ezra Titus Rooi (ASCW), 3 Caleb Grimbeeck (WWC);41.1kg: 1 Dian Kotze (WWC, sole competitor); 48.2-51.8kg: 1 Friedrich Simon (RGWC), 2 Werner Klein (WWC), 3 Zenber Slabber (WWC).Under-13 freestyle: 27.2-29.3kg: 1 Twakulilwa Nghilifavali Haibodi (ASCW), 2 Hadan Dante Junior Luke Gawaseb (ASCW), 3 Shambo Shambo (SAWA); 30.8-33.5kg: 1 Francois le Roux (WWC), 2 Ezra Titus Rooi (ASCW), 3 Caleb Grimbeeck (WWC);41.1kg: 1 Dian Kotze (WWC, sole competitor); 47.2-51.8kg: 1 Werner Klein (WWC), 2 Zenber Slabber (WWC), 3 Liam de Waal (PWC); 53.5kg: 1 Friedrich Simon (RGWC, sole competitor).Under-11 to under-nine divisionsUnder-11 Greco-Roman: 24.2-26.3kg: 1 Armando Brunell Haininga (ASCW), 2 Nathen Motrich Vleermuis (ASCW), 3 Imms Kaamukulwa (SAWA); 28.1-30.7kg: 1 Matheus Blessing Paulus (ASCW), 2 Handré Petter Hansen (WWC), 3 John Louis van Niekerk (WWC);31-34kg: 1 Eduan McKay (WWC), 2 Altus Wiesner (RGWC), 3 Harold Erasmus (WWC); 34.9-38.4kg: 1 Milan van der Merwe (WWC), 2 Frans du Rand (WWC), 3 Jurgens de Lange (RGWC); 47kg: 1 Daniel du Toit (WWC), 2 Hanre Dirk Schiele (WWC);56.5-57kg: 1 Adriel Johnathan van Wyk (WWC), 2 Eliah Willem Oosthuizen (WWC).Under-11 freestyle: 24.5kg: 1 Nathen Motrich Vleermuis (ASCW, sole competitor); 28.3kg: 1 Heinrich Johannes Schimper (PWC, sole competitor); 31.3-34kg: 1 Eduan McKay (WWC), 2 Harold Erasmus (WWC);34.9-38.4kg: 1 Milan van der Merwe (WWC), 2 Zane van der Merwe (RGWC); 47kg: 1 Daniel du Toit (WWC, sole competitor); 56.5-57kg: 1 Adriel Johnathan van Wyk (WWC), 2 Eliah Willem Oosthuizen (WWC).Under-10 freestyle: 24.2-26.3kg: 1 Immanuel Kaamukulwa (SAWA), 2 Armando Brunell Haininga (ASCW); 28.1-30.7kg: 1 Matheus Blessing Paulus (ASCW), 2 Handré Petter Hansen (WWC), 3 John Louis van Niekerk (WWC);31-32.4kg: 1 Altus Wiesner (RGWC), 2 Maanoh Kandume (SAWA); 34.9-38.3kg: 1 Frans du Rand (WWC), 2 Jurgens de Lange (RGWC), 3 Hanre Schiele (WWC).Under-nine Greco-Roman: 21.6-23.2kg: 1 George Haimbodi (ASCW), 2 Daniel van der Merwe (WWC), 3 Joshua van der Merwe (WWC); 26.8-29kg: 1 Haiki Haimbanga (ASCW), 2 Christiaan van Dyk (WWC), 3 Bouwer de Kock (WWC);31-33.1kg: 1 Liam Slabber (WWC), 2 Pieter van Niekerk (WWC), 3 Jacques le Roux (WWC).Under-nine freestyle: 23.2kg: 1 Christiaan van Dyk (WWC), 2 George Haimbodi (ASCW); 32.1-33.1kg: 1 Liam Slabber (WWC), 2 Jacques le Roux (WWC).Under-eight and under-seven divisionsUnder-eight freestyle: 21.6-22kg: 1 Joshua van der Merwe (WWC), 2 Daniel van der Merwe (WWC); 26.2-28.6kg: 1 Johan Visser (RGWC), 2 Elle Hansen (WWC), 3 Bouwer de Kock (WWC); 29-31kg: 1 Pieter van Niekerk (WWC), 2 Haiki Haimbanga (ASCW).Under-seven freestyle: 29.3kg: 1 Schalk Willem Burger Oosthuizen (WWC, sole competitor).Presidents divisionsPresidents schools female: 26.2kg: 1 Elle Hansen (WWC, sole competitor); 32.4-34.6kg: 1 Jasmine Gawases (ASCW), 2 Justina Valombolo (ASCW), 3 Ndapewo Kandume (SAWA); 55kg: 1 Amalia Elithea Ponheleyetu Venonya (ASCW, sole competitor).Presidents schools freestyle: 26.8-29kg: 1 Christiaan van Dyk (WWC), 2 Faith Nghitewapo (ASCW), 3 H-J Schimper (PWC); 30.8-33.5kg: 1 Francois le Roux (WWC), 2 Harold Erasmus (WWC), 3 Caleb Grimbeeck (WWC);34.9kg: 1 Milan van der Merwe (WWC), 2 Dian Kotze (WWC); 47.2-51.8kg: 1 Zenber Slabber (WWC), 2 Werner Klein (WWC), 3 Liam de Waal (PWC).Presidents juniors freestyle: 34.1kg: 1 Denzel Haraseb (SAWA, sole competitor); 63.4kg: 1 Stiaan Rossouw (WWC, sole competitor).– mariud@nsh.com.na

WWC tops nationals with 30 golds

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-23

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WWC tops nationals with 30 golds

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-23

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