A TOTAL of 21 athletes will represent Namibia at the 10th CAA African Junior Athletics Championships in Gaborone, Botswana from May 12 to 15.
The African Junior Championships are held every two years and the first edition was held in Algiers, Algeria, in 1994. This year’s event will see teams from more than 40 African nations vying to be crowned Africa’s junior champions.Namibia’s junior athletes qualified for the competition after competing in the recently held National Schools’ Athletics Championships, the Bank Windhoek Senior National Athletics Championships, and the Rössing and Samsung club championships.The Namibian contingent will have a joint training session on May 9 at 15h00 at the Windhoek Independence Stadium to ensure that the team puts the finishing touches on its preparations.Dennis Skrywer, Athletics Namibia Council Member responsible for Junior Athletics was confident that his team would do well. Along with Skrywer, the team will be accompanied by officials Bethold Karumendu and Leoni van Rensburg, with Lucky Gawanab as the coach. ‘Our team is ready to compete with the very best junior athletes on the continent. I am confident that we will fly the flag high for Namibia and bring back many medals!’ he said.The following are the athletes that have qualified for the 10th CAA African Junior Championships.Women: Cornel Britz – 100m & 200m Sprint (Khomas); Penny Hamunyela – 100m Sprint (Hardap); Leandri van der Walt – 400m Run (Karas); Johanna Shiweda – 800m Run (Ohangwena); Ndapandile Nghinaunge – 1500m Run (Ohangwena); Charlene Engelbrecht – Shotput & Discus (Otjozondjupa); Corlia Kruger – Heptathlon (Erongo); Michelle Pretorius – High Jump (Otjozondjupa); Cornila Kahl – Long Jump & Triple Jump (Otjozondjupa); Lena !Noreses – Women 100m Sprint (Khomas); Otillie Shiyakela – Women 400m Run (Oshana); Klaudia Moses – Women 800m Run (Oshana).Men: Fred Charles Pieterse – 100m & 200m Sprint & 110m Hurdles (Khomas); Ashton Nash – 100m Sprint (Erongo); Pierre Cronje – 200m Sprint & 400m Run (Oshikoto); Kleopas Imalwa – High Jump (Khomas); Prince Mujatwa – Long Jump (Otjozondjupa); Jasper Engelbrecht – Javelin (Omaheke); Petrus Luanda – 800m Run (Oshana); Leonard Petrus – 1500m Run (Ohangwena)Greg Makari – Triple Jump (Omaheke).- namibiasport.com.na
