Renowned athletics coach Henk Botha has said the recent 22nd edition of the African Athletics Championships in Mauritius was an important learning curve for young and upcoming Namibian athletes. 

Namibia finished bottom of the table with one bronze medal to her name, earned by discus thrower Ryan Willams. 

But the coach refused to read too much into the end-results, saying their biggest priority was to give the country’s young athletes exposure and an opportunity to compete at the highest level.

Speaking to this publication on Team Namibia’s overall performance, Botha said the competition was tough, especially for the country’s young participants, but much experience and exposure was gained in the process.

“It was obviously going to be a tough competition for us because we competed with the best in Africa, and most of those athletes who took part were well-experienced and well-conditioned. But we still managed to reach the finals in the various disciplines. I think it’s a great achievement for the young ones and from here, we can only get better as a country,” he observed. 

The coach is looking forward to see what the future holds for the athletes and the country, adding that he hopes for more international appearances. 

“We are all excited to see these athletes on the circuit, and we should create more opportunities for them to compete at various international events. That way, I am sure they will improve their performances as individuals. But all in all, I have to say it was a successful and useful trip for our young athletes.”

Kenya ended top of the table with 23 medals, followed by South Africa, who had one gold medal less but a superior 36 overall. Nigeria and Algeria won five golds apiece to finish third and fourth on the table, just ahead of Ethiopia and Botswana with four golds each. 

The 23rd edition of the championships will take place in 2024 in Cameroon.

- mkambukwe@nepc.com.na