With less than 40 days left until African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Games commence, Athletics Namibia has organised a championship intended to help gauge athletes’ readiness before the games begin.
The Region 5 Games are slated for next month, running from 3to 14 July, in Windhoek and Swakopmund. Namibia will host these games after Mozambique, initially tipped to host, withdrew at a later stage.
With these games approaching, Namibia will be hoping to leverage their home advantage to dominate the proceedings on home soil. This Saturday, to prepare athletes for the crucial games, Athletics Namibia (AN), together with the Khomas region, will host a regional athletics championship. This event aims to give selected athletes a chance to test their skills ahead of the youth games. The one-day event will feature both track and field disciplines, with athletes from Khomas and other regions expected to participate. Various categories, from U/19 to seniors, will be included. The event is scheduled to start at 09h00 in the morning and conclude at 15h00 in Windhoek.
According to Leoni van Rensburg, the competition director, they anticipate more than 200 participants this weekend. She further stated that the event will also serve as a qualification opportunity for major international events for senior athletes.
“We have limited competitions due to the current season, which doesn’t allow for many events. It’s winter, and fewer competitions are being organised, hence we came up with this one,” Van Rensburg explained. “We realised that the Region 5 Games are around the corner, and our athletes participating in track and field events could use this competition to prepare themselves for the crucial games.”
She continued, “Not only will these events be open to those taking part in the games, but also for senior athletes looking to qualify for major international events. With less challenging competition, we hope this will assist them.”
Freddy Mwiya, the Chief Administrator at the Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) and involved with the preparation of the Region 5 Games, highlighted the importance of this course of action. He believes Namibia needs to be competitive when the games begin.
“At the moment, we are busy preparing all sport codes. For Athletics Namibia to come up with such a brilliant idea to prepare our athletes, I commend them wholeheartedly,” Mwiya said. “As Team Namibia, I believe it’s important that we compete at the highest level on home soil, and to do that, you need to test yourself. Therefore, these types of competitions are crucial,” he added.
This will be the second time Namibia hosts this important event, having previously staged the competition in 2006. A total of 12 sports codes are expected to be showcased throughout the tournament. A record 2 229 athletes and officials are expected at this event, all vying for honours.
– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na