Time short for Youth Games preps

WINDHOEK – Namibia’s track and field coaches are trying to do much with little time available in preparation for the Zone Six Youth Games to start bin just over a week.

The Games will be held in Windhoek from June 26 to July 5. NamibiaŽs sprinting coaches Lucky Gawanab and Rampie Links feel that the time for the athletes to train is not enough.By the time the track and field event starts on July 2, the athletes would only have been training together for three weeks.The athletes were called to a training camp on June 6 and immediately left for Botswana for a competition.They returned on Monday and will be in a training camp until the Youth Games end on July 5.Gawanab complained that the training camp kicked off too late.He said the team has been known since the school’s national championship at the beginning of April, but no camp was held for the athletes to train with the national coaches.šAlthough the athletes trained with their own coaches since their selection, it is important that the athletes and the national coaches train together to get to know each other better over a period of time,š Gawanab said, adding that some athletes do not even have private coaches.He added that now that they are in camp, the once-a-day training session was also not enough to ensure positive results during the Youth Games.The team trains from 15h00 until 18h00 during the week and again on Saturday at the Independence Stadium.However, the athletes are doing well under the circumstances and faired well in Botswana with numerous first places, said Gawanab.Approached for comment the general team manager Hilbertine Mbesuva said that management considered the athletes education and did not want to disrupt it too much.She said although the athletes have not been in a camp before the time, they did however, take part in two competitions to aid their preparations.The athletes took part in the 2006 Confederation of Schools Sport Associations of Southern Africa (COSSASA) event on May 6 as well as the Frank Fredericks Invitational Meeting on April 7.She added that the athletes from the outside regions have been accomodated at the Higher Technical School, while the once from the Khomas Region stay at their own houses and all of them are continuing their education.Meanwhile, the athletes will be in action this Saturday during the Golden Cheetah Athletic Club and Winners Athletics Club Training Competition at the Independence Stadium.All Khomas athletics clubs have been invited to the competition.The Namibian team will again be participating in the Khomas Region Club Championships on June 23 in the capital.NamibiaŽs sprinting coaches Lucky Gawanab and Rampie Links feel that the time for the athletes to train is not enough.By the time the track and field event starts on July 2, the athletes would only have been training together for three weeks.The athletes were called to a training camp on June 6 and immediately left for Botswana for a competition.They returned on Monday and will be in a training camp until the Youth Games end on July 5.Gawanab complained that the training camp kicked off too late.He said the team has been known since the school’s national championship at the beginning of April, but no camp was held for the athletes to train with the national coaches.šAlthough the athletes trained with their own coaches since their selection, it is important that the athletes and the national coaches train together to get to know each other better over a period of time,š Gawanab said, adding that some athletes do not even have private coaches.He added that now that they are in camp, the once-a-day training session was also not enough to ensure positive results during the Youth Games.The team trains from 15h00 until 18h00 during the week and again on Saturday at the Independence Stadium.However, the athletes are doing well under the circumstances and faired well in Botswana with numerous first places, said Gawanab.Approached for comment the general team manager Hilbertine Mbesuva said that management considered the athletes education and did not want to disrupt it too much.She said although the athletes have not been in a camp before the time, they did however, take part in two competitions to aid their preparations.The athletes took part in the 2006 Confederation of Schools Sport Associations of Southern Africa (COSSASA) event on May 6 as well as the Frank Fredericks Invitational Meeting on April 7.She added that the athletes from the outside regions have been accomodated at the Higher Technical School, while the once from the Khomas Region stay at their own houses and all of them are continuing their education.Meanwhile, the athletes will be in action this Saturday during the Golden Cheetah Athletic Club and Winners Athletics Club Training Competition at the Independence Stadium.All Khomas athletics clubs have been invited to the competition.The Namibian team will again be participating in the Khomas Region Club Championships on June 23 in the capital.