Zidane CJ Gawaseb, coach of Team Namibia’s African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 track and field squad, stated that the Khomas National Championship was a vital event as the team intensifies its preparations for the upcoming games.

He made these remarks after the event, where he emphasised the importance of such competitions.

The event played a crucial role in Team Namibia’s preparations, with less than a month before the 11th edition of the games takes centre stage in the capital and the coastal town of Swakopmund.

In an interview with New Era Sports, Gawaseb said the event was crucial for them as they eye glory at the forthcoming games. He added that this wouldn’t be their last preparatory event, as they still have more competitions planned before July.

“I am happy with how we performed; I mean the Region 5 team has dominated the championship, which shows that we are moving in the right direction towards what we want to achieve at the games,” a confident Gawaseb stated.

“As hosts, I believe it’s up to us to lead the country to glory, given the fact that we would be familiar with many aspects like the weather, sports facilities, and other factors. 

We will have two more events before the games, and so far, I am proud of what I have seen from the team, and I am hoping we will deliver come July,” he added.

Over 200 participants took part in the championship from across the nation, with more than 10 affiliated clubs sending athletes to be part of the event. The Region 5 team amassed a total of 145 points, followed by Quinton-Steele Botes AC with 116 points. The University of Namibia Athletic Club secured third place with 69 points, and Namibia Correctional Service (NCS) followed closely with 67 points.

Leoni van Rensburg, the competition director, highly praised the turnout, noting that they haven’t had a competition with such a significant number of participants since January.

“The tracks weren’t available for most of this year. We had a lot of events such as the founding father’s death anniversary, heavy rains and other events which made it tough for us to have full access to the tracks,” she explained. “This marked a huge milestone; we had a large number of participants, and many athletes used the event to gauge and test themselves for major tournaments.” 

– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na