Samaria pulls out of Games

AGNES Samaria’s name will be missing from the starting line-up of the 800-metre heats at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia on Sunday.

Samaria has announced that she will miss the Commonwealth Games because of a stress fracture in her foot. The Namibian middle-distance queen had a chance to reach for a gold medal this time, after she managed to bag a bronze at the same competition in Manchester, England, in 2002.This time, she was supposed to go down in the starting blocks at the popular Melbourne Cricket Ground in what could have been a relatively easy heat to qualify for the next round, but this is not to be.Samaria yesterday said: “Unfortunately I have to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games.It became, with the stress fracture, impossible to get ready to compete at the highest level.This is to get a medal, for less I would not be going.”She said a stress fracture takes about six weeks to heal.”Currently I am at week four.The pain is less, but I cannot yet train at the stadium, nor in the swimming pool.My heart is bleeding, all my preparations this year were for the Commonwealth Games.I am very disappointed, but I have no choice,” she said.Samaria did Namibia proud at the Manchester Games when she chased gallantly after 800-metre world champion Maria Mutola, but she was outdone during the last stretch by Mutola and Canada’s Diane Cummins, only to grab a bronze medal.Mutola finished that historic final in 1 minute, 57.35 seconds and it still stands as the Games record, while Cummins crossed in 1:58.82, with Agnes Samaria in a personal best of 1:59.15, and also the fastest ever by a Namibian over that distance.Samaria, who was voted Namibia’s Sportswoman of the Year last year, first suffered from a Achilles-tendon injury and missed out on several international races for the past two seasons.A sudden stress fracture in her foot, which developed early this year, has blown away her chances of being among the 65-strong Namibian contingent to the Games.The Namibian team left for Australia a week ago and are preparing for the Games which starts with the opening ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow.”I wish my fellow Namibian athletes all success during the Games.I hope now to restart training during mid-April and to restart international competition during July,” she added.Samaria said her main target would now be to get a medal at the All African Games in Mauritius later this year.With her biggest aim being the next Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in 2008, the injury-prone Samaria will have a daunting task to keep up with the emerging young talent in that discipline – both in Namibia and around the world.Samaria was a medal hopeful at this year’s Commonwealth Games, as she has developed into an elite runner.She would have faced competition from Mutola, who won a seventh world indoor title over 800 metres in Moscow on Sunday night.Mutola has told the Associated Press that she’s in good health and keen to compete in Melbourne, but her long-time friend and training partner Samaria will be watching all those races on television.Jamaica’s Kenia Sinclair was runner-up to Mutola in Moscow and is also a strong medal contender.Namibia will be represented by eight sport codes at the Commonwealth Games – bowling, gymnastics, cycling, shooting, athletics, boxing, rugby and swimming.Athletics used to be Namibia’s premier code when it came to international participation in the past, as it had the largest team of competitors, but this time, only two athletes will be at the Games.Hitjivirue Kaanjuka will represent Namibia in the 200 metres, while Beata Naigambo will be doing the marathon.Both athletes were late inclusions in the team.The Commonwealth Games will run from tomorrow until March 26.The Namibian middle-distance queen had a chance to reach for a gold medal this time, after she managed to bag a bronze at the same competition in Manchester, England, in 2002.This time, she was supposed to go down in the starting blocks at the popular Melbourne Cricket Ground in what could have been a relatively easy heat to qualify for the next round, but this is not to be.Samaria yesterday said: “Unfortunately I have to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games.It became, with the stress fracture, impossible to get ready to compete at the highest level.This is to get a medal, for less I would not be going.”She said a stress fracture takes about six weeks to heal.”Currently I am at week four.The pain is less, but I cannot yet train at the stadium, nor in the swimming pool.My heart is bleeding, all my preparations this year were for the Commonwealth Games.I am very disappointed, but I have no choice,” she said.Samaria did Namibia proud at the Manchester Games when she chased gallantly after 800-metre world champion Maria Mutola, but she was outdone during the last stretch by Mutola and Canada’s Diane Cummins, only to grab a bronze medal.Mutola finished that historic final in 1 minute, 57.35 seconds and it still stands as the Games record, while Cummins crossed in 1:58.82, with Agnes Samaria in a personal best of 1:59.15, and also the fastest ever by a Namibian over that distance.Samaria, who was voted Namibia’s Sportswoman of the Year last year, first suffered from a Achilles-tendon injury and missed out on several international races for the past two seasons.A sudden stress fracture in her foot, which developed early this year, has blown away her chances of being among the 65-strong Namibian contingent to the Games.The Namibian team left for Australia a week ago and are preparing for the Games which starts with the opening ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow.”I wish my fellow Namibian athletes all success during the Games.I hope now to restart training during mid-April and to restart international competition during July,” she added.Samaria said her main target would now be to get a medal at the All African Games in Mauritius later this year.With her biggest aim being the next Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in 2008, the injury-prone Samaria will have a daunting task to keep up with the emerging young talent in that discipline – both in Namibia and around the world.Samaria was a medal hopeful at this year’s Commonwealth Games, as she has developed into an elite runner.She would have faced competition from Mutola, who won a seventh world indoor title over 800 metres in Moscow on Sunday night.Mutola has told the Associated Press that she’s in good health and keen to compete in Melbourne, but her long-time friend and training partner Samaria will be watching all those races on television.Jamaica’s Kenia Sinclair was runner-up to Mutola in Moscow and is also a strong medal contender.Namibia will be represented by eight sport codes at the Commonwealth Games – bowling, gymnastics, cycling, shooting, athletics, boxing, rugby and swimming.Athletics used to be Namibia’s premier code when it came to international participation in the past, as it had the largest team of competitors, but this time, only two athletes will be at the Games.Hitjivirue Kaanjuka will represent Namibia in the 200 metres, while Beata Naigambo will be doing the marathon.Both athletes were late inclusions in the team.The Commonwealth Games will run from tomorrow until March 26.