The Namibia Aquatic Sports Federation (NASFED) has sent a junior swim team to South Africa to compete in the South African National Junior Age Group Championships (SANJ) in Gqeberha, which began on 21 March and concludes today.
The championship is a premier event on the South African swimming calendar, bringing together top junior swimmers from across the region, with participation based on strict qualifying times.
The Namibian team consists of 23 swimmers and is led by head coach Janis Stergiadis and team manager Gabi Erni.
The athletes representing Namibia are Suraya Ashikoto, Oelof Badenhorst, Madison Bergh, Riley Bergh, Emma Brinkmann, Ben Brown, Victoria De Sousa, Aiden Diehl, Patrick Durand, Julian Erni, Lorenzo Esterhuizen, Rodney Feris, Xinyue Huang, Naan Jiao, Laila Joubert, Roselinda Matyayi, Dane Mostert, Jeremy Musati, Ainoa Naukosho, Candice Rey, Gizelle Slinger, Sandra Schnebel and Roze Van Wyk.
According to NASFED Public Relations Officer Bernandette Freyer-Swartz, the federation continues to prioritise the development of young athletes by providing opportunities to compete at high-performance events such as these championships.
“Exposure at this level is crucial in preparing swimmers for future continental and international competitions,” she said.
According to day three results, Patrick Durand collected four gold medals and set a new long course record in the 800m freestyle.
Durand described his victory as challenging but rewarding, noting that increased competition helps him improve.
“It’s nice having more competition because it makes you better as a swimmer and gives you the drive to push yourself further,” he said.
Roselinda Matyayi, Victoria De Sousa, Naan Jiao and Rodney Feris each secured one silver medal. Lorenzo Esterhuizen and Xinyue Huang collected two silver medals each, with Huang also setting a new NASFED long course record in the girls’ U/12 200m butterfly.
Julian Erni, Oelof Badenhorst and Roze Van Wyk each earned a bronze medal.
Matyayi expressed pride in her achievement, saying the strong level of competition motivates her to keep pushing and improving.