All set for World Under-20 Champs
Athletics Namibia (AN) president Erwin Naimhwaka said preparations for the World Under-20 Championships are at an advanced stage and everything is now in place for the trip to Kenya.
Namibia is sending six athletes (five females and one male) to the championships scheduled for 17 to 22 August 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya. They are Beatrice Masilingi and Christine Mboma, who will compete in the 100 meters (m), 200m, and 4x100 female relay. Elvis Gaseb will compete in the 100m race, while Ndawana Haitembu, Carien Oosthuizen and Nandi Vass will form part of the 4x100m relay team. Speaking to Nampa on Wednesday, Naimhwaka said they have secured financial assistance from Namdia, First National Bank Namibia and the Road Fund Administration.
“The team is flying out on Saturday, the flights are confirmed. Our policy is never to put pressure on the athletes as we always encourage them to do their best. We are already proud of them for qualifying for the championships,” he said.
Naimhwaka said they are also confident that Masilingi and Mboma will be ready for the competition following their arrival in Namibia from the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday.
Naimhwaka believes the athletes and their coach Henk Botha have a plan on how to deal with fatigue. Meanwhile, Botha told Nampa on Tuesday he is concerned about the attention the girls are getting especially from the media, corporate world and the general public.
“We have had a bit of rest. I am not worried about the mental state or focus of the girls so to say. It’s just that everybody wants some kind of meeting, interview or piece of the girls. Unfortunately, I will have to cut 70% of the official meetings and stuff so that the girls rest,” Botha said.