The Namibia Gymnastics Federation (NGF) and the Namibia Schools ‘ Sports Union (NSSU) recently conducted training sessions for local gymnasts and their coaches to enable them to adequately compete in the Zone VI games.
The Zone VI competition is expected to take place in the second week of December 2013 in Harare, Zimbabwe, where Namibia will compete in aerobics’ gymnastics, trampoline, tumbling, artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics, amongst other sports codes.
Speaking to Nampa at Keetmanshoop on Thursday, NGF president Valereis Geldenhuys-Venter said the country’s national team is also preparing to compete in the All African Championships in March 2014.
This competition will take place in Egypt, and Namibia will participate in aerobics, as well as in the trampoline and tumbling categories.
Geldenhuys-Venter said in an effort to improve the country’s gymnastics performance, the NGF and NSSU sought the assistance of World Aerobics Champion Gaylord Obrier from France to train the gymnasts and coaches.
Obrier, who is now training the //Karas aerobics team and other interested children in Keetmanshoop, also trained 18 gymnastics coaches and 25 gymnasts in Windhoek from 19 to 23 August this year.
“What Obrier does is correct and helps coaches and gymnasts to improve execution and artistry from level one to six. He also accesses strength, suppleness and difficulty. The aim is to make sure our people receive professional skills,” Geldenhuys-Venter explained.
She further said the participants in Windhoek came from towns such as Oshakati, Gobabis, Swakopmund, Keetmanshoop and Otjiwarongo.
From Windhoek, Obrier went to Swakopmund where he gave training on gymnastics floor choreography before coming to Keetmanshoop on Wednesday.
Trampoline and tumbling training courses were also offered in Walvis Bay by professional coach John Beer from England from 19 to 26 August.
In 2012, the NGF entered a combined team of 90 gymnasts in the All African Championships. They also competed in the Zone VI competition which took place in Pretoria, South Africa from 9 to 13 December.
The team brought home a total of 52 medals in both competitions.
“Last year, Jivanka Kruger received gold on the junior female Double Mini-Trampoline to become the junior female Double-Mini All-Africa Champion,” Geldenhuys-Venter noted.
Namibia, Algeria, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tunisia, Angola and South Africa participated in the All African Championships and Zone VI last year.
The same countries will participate in this year ‘s edition of that same competition.
Geldenhuys-Venter indicated that the number of athletes in the national team for 2013 is still to be decided on.
The national aerobics championship games for this year are scheduled to take place in Walvis Bay on 22 September, before the national team flies off to Zimbabwe in December.
– Nampa
Quote:
What Obrier does is correct and helps coaches and gymnasts to improve execution and artistry from level one to six. He also accesses strength, suppleness and difficulty. The aim is to make sure our people receive professional skills.
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