YOUNG SWIMMERS IMPRESS IN NAMIBIA
BSSA last week sent a team of 16 swimmers to Namibia, aged between 11 and 16 years, where they were competing at the Namibian national swimming championships which ended over the weekend.
Team Botswana amassed an impressive medal tally of 23, with 10 gold, five (5) silver and eight (8) bronze medals, with Rayhan Khonat registering four (4) gold and one (1) bronze medals.
Khonat, Kyra Harry, Mmusi Matthews and Melodi Shaleshando were selected as swimmers of the day in their various events as highlights of the team’s performance. The developments are part of the BSSA’s long term development strategy as they look to enhance their chances of future success in the sport at continental and global
competitions. “We are quite happy with the teams’ performance, they put in a good fight and the results speak for themselves.
There are indications that, even those that didn’t get podium finishes registered massive PB’s (Personal Best times),” BSSA Public Relations Officer Roseline Seleka said upon the team’s return from Nambia.
Prior to the championships, the Secretary General of BSSA, Kgaotsang
Matthews told Sun Sports that, competition in Namibia was an ideal platform for local young swimmers, more especially that Namibia used short-course pool. “We’ve decided to introduce them to high level competition at a place where it will not be much difficult for them, they will use a short-course pool (25 meters long), long course pool is 50 meters, the short course pool is ideal for their development,” Matthews shared.
There were no set medal targets for
the team but interest and emphasis were focused more on athletes to register new personal best times, with podium finishes deemed to be a bonus.
The Namibian national championships have highly competitive times and Matthews highlighted that for the young swimmers to have registered required times for the competition was already a commendable effort.