GABORONE – One of Namibia’s top sprinters, Mahmad Bock, has attributed hard work and perseverance to his thrilling performance at the recent Gaborone International Meet in Botswana, which saw him taking second place in the 400m in a time of 45.80 seconds. 

Bock’s time became the new unofficial Namibian 400m record, and eclipsed the longstanding 400m record of 46.14 seconds set by the late legendary runner Daniel Haitembu in 1980, some 42 years ago to be precise.

Speaking to New Era Sport after the race, an exited Bock said it has always been his dream to set and break national records, adding that breaking Haitembu’s 42-year-old record is the icing on the cake and will motivate him to work even harder.

“My coach and I have been working on breaking that record. It has always been part of the plan, and since the beginning, we have always practiced on how we can break that record. I just broke it at the right time and at a major event,” he beamed. 

“It’s a huge milestone, and it means a lot to have broken the record. I am excited, and this is an indication that there are much more greater things coming. This also shows that I can now compete with elite athletes in the world and from here on, we are just going to take it further”.

He also touched on how the state of athletics in the country has changed for the better, saying with support from more sponsors and investments into promising athletes, the country will continue to improve on the global stage.

“I think athletics in Namibia is becoming a household sport. It has grown and improved drastically, but more will even come if only we can get more sponsors. We are capable of producing more elite athletes in the country,” he added.

- mkambukwe@nepc.com.na