WINDHOEK-Namibia’s emerging sprinting sensation Even Tjiuiju dominated headlines at the Bank Windhoek National Championship after clinching first place in the men’s 100m and 200m events at the Independence
Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday. Tjiuiju clocked 10.50 seconds to win the men’s 100m and was closely followed by Ismael Tjiramba in 2nd place with his time of 10.50 seconds, while Tjimbatu Kauajao crossed the line in 10.60 seconds to take 3rd place. Tjiuiju was soon back in the thick of things, this time taking top honours in the men’s 200m race after clocking an amazing time of 21.22 seconds, which is the standard qualifying time for the All Africa Games, to take place in Congo Brazzaville later this year. Kauajao trailed in 2nd place with his time of 21.30 seconds,
while Ernest Narib ran a modest time of 21.58 seconds to claim 3rd place in the men’s 200m event. In the women’s category, Kristien Kruger won the women’s 100m race with a time of 12.24 seconds, followed by Eileen Britz in 2nd place with her time of 12.55 seconds with Charme Classen clocking 12.93 seconds to take 3rd place.
Veteran sprinter Silba Tjingaete showed her much younger opponents a clean pair of heels when she clocked 26.86 seconds to win the women’s 200m race, followed by Anrie Els in 2nd place in 27.17 seconds and Jesse Joseph
in 3rd place with her time of 27.28 seconds.
The men’s 400m event was won by Francis Uatema (47.39), followed by Ernest Narib (47.53) and Johnson Tjijenda (48.61) in 2nd and 3rd places, while Henryke Garbers won the women’s 400m race in a time of 58.58 seconds followed by Ze-zane Lewin (1:00.06) and Silba Tjingaete (1:00.11) in 2nd and 3rd places. Daniel Ndhipandulwa clocked 1:51.61 to win the men’s 800m event, followed by Oskar Komeya (1:54.09) and Johnson Tjijenda (1:54.09) in 2nd and 3rd places, while the women’s 800m was won by Claudia Moses with her time of 1:11.13, with Lavinia Haitope and Salmi Nduuviteko clocking 2:12.98 and 2:15.42 to finish 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The much experienced Daniel Ndhipandulwa also won the men’s 1500m event after crossing the line in a time of 4:14.62, followed by Johannes Skrywer (4:15.61) and Oskar Komeya (4:15.64) in 2nd and 3rd places. Lavinia Haitope timed 6:06.75 to win the women’s 1500m race, with Claudia Moses (6:16.45) and Tjiuiju takes National Champs by storm … athletes deliver blistering action Ndeshimona Ekandjo (6.24.85) finishing in that order.
The men’s 5000m race was won by Reinhold Tomas with his time of 15:00.79, with Leonard Nampala taking 2nd place in 15:01.25 while 3rd place went to Uveni-Nawa Kuugongwela who crossed to the line in 15:01.27. Armas Alina scooped first place in the women’s 3000m race after crossing the line in 8:29.69, followed by Ndeshimona Ekandjo
(8:58.69) and Rauna Lukas (9:47.00) in 2nd and 3rd places respectively. Last on the running programme was the men’s 10 000m race which was won by the fast improving Mynhardt Kauanivi in a time of 30:52.63 and trailed
by Leonard Nampala (31:09.03) and Uveni-Nawa Kuugongwela (31:25.59) in 2nd and 3rd places.