Namibia’s track and field star Beatrice Masilingi made a strong statement early in the 2025 athletics season, positioning herself as the country’s top contender for the upcoming World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.
The championships, set to take place from 21 to 23 March at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in the Jianye District, will see athletes from around the world competing in various track and field events, with Masilingi emerging as Namibia’s most likely representative.
She has quickly gained attention this year with a series of impressive performances, including breaking the national indoor record in the 200-metre (m) race.
Over the weekend, she clocked a remarkable 24:32 seconds during a competition in Belgium, signalling that she is in excellent form. Reflecting on her return to competitive athletics after nearly two years, Masilingi expressed her excitement. “Honestly, I am just happy to be back on track and running again. It’s been almost two years of being out of competition, and 24:32 seconds is a good kick-off.”
Masilingi’s success didn’t stop there. Earlier this year, she dominated the 100m race at the Grand Prix Athletics meet in Swakopmund on 25 January, leaving her rivals behind. On 3 February, she competed at the IFam Indoor Gent in Belgium, setting a new personal best and national record in the women’s 60m race with a time of 7:35 seconds, earning her first-place honours.
Despite finishing second at the 60m indoor event in Belgium on 16 February with a time of 7:45 seconds, Masilingi’s consistent performances suggest she is a strong contender for the upcoming championships.
With just over a month remaining until the World Indoor Championships, the competition will be fierce. One athlete to watch in the women’s 60m race is Saint Lucian runner Julia Alfred, who has consistently delivered impressive indoor times. On the men’s side, American sprint sensation Noah Lyles will also be a formidable presence in the 60m race.
The Nanjing Championships will mark the first major global athletics competition since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where many of the world’s top stars competed.
Athletics Namibia president Leon Nienaber confirmed that Masilingi is the country’s only athlete currently competing in indoor events.
“If we had four or five athletes, we would have sent them, but this is not the case. She is close to qualification,” he stated. He also mentioned that Namibia currently has no athletes selected for the Botswana Continental Tour, with the opportunity largely contingent on securing necessary funding. He added, “Answers from the government have been very slow due to preparations for the late Founding Fathers’s funeral, but hopefully, after that, we might have answers.”
The World Indoor Championships will feature a variety of events, including sprints, middle-distance races, relays and jumps, offering athletes not only a chance to secure post-Olympic victories, but also an opportunity for rising stars to make their mark on the global stage. Many athletes who excel in Nanjing will be looking to carry their momentum into the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo later in the year.
-lmupetami@nepc.com.na