The Namibia Wrestling Federation successfully concluded its Dr Sam Nujoma President Tournament on Saturday at the Affiespark Indoor Hockey Hall at Wanderers Sports Grounds in Windhoek, with close to 93 wrestlers from five clubs taking part in the competition.

According to federation secretary general Anke Erasmus, the tournament served as the first competition of the year for the federation and marked the start of what promises to be a busy wrestling calendar.

“This is the first tournament of the year for the Namibia Wrestling Federation. The President’s Tournament mainly focuses on categorising wrestlers according to their weight groups rather than age categories, as is the case with national competitions,” she explained.

Erasmus said the event plays an important role in assessing athletes’ form early in the season while also providing a platform for wrestlers to gain competitive experience.

“We are very excited about the year ahead. As mentioned, this was the first competition of the year, and it sets the tone for the rest of the season,” she added.

The federation has several competitions lined up in the coming months, starting with the Windhoek Wrestling Club Open Championships scheduled for March. This will be followed by the Roots Championships in April, which will bring together wrestlers from various clubs across the country. Looking further ahead, Namibia’s wrestlers are also preparing for continental competition at the African Wrestling Championships, which will take place in Alexandria, Egypt later this year.

Erasmus noted that the early tournaments will serve as part of the preparation process for athletes expected to represent Namibia at the continental championships.

“These competitions are important for preparation as the team builds towards the African Championships,” she said.

 –lmupetami@nepc.com.na