Three of Namibia’s top wrestlers travel to Spain this week to attend an international event and training camp.
Lazarus Haimbodi, Virinao Nguatjiti and Lafras Uys were selected to represent Namibia at the 2026 Grand Prix of Spain which will be held in Madrid from Friday to Sunday.
They will also attend a week-long United World Wrestling training camp in Madrid from 13 to 18 July.
The team will be accompanied by national head coach Luis Forcelledo Paz.
According to a press release issued by the Namibia Wrestling Federation (NWF), the trip will help the wrestlers in their quest to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games.
“This assignment forms a key part of the NWF’s high-performance programme, giving the athletes valuable exposure to top international competition as they build towards the 2027 African Wrestling Championships and the pursuit of Olympic qualification,” it said.
“The trip has been made possible through a Youth Development Grant awarded by the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), which has covered the full costs of the team’s participation. The NWF extends its sincere gratitude to the NNOC office for their support and assistance in making this opportunity possible,” it added.
“This opportunity gives our athletes exposure to some of the best wrestlers in the world, at a critical point in our preparation cycle for the African Championships and Olympic qualification. We are deeply grateful to the NNOC for their support in making this trip possible.
The NWF wishes the team success in Spain and looks forward to sharing their experience upon their return,” it said.
Haimbodi will compete in the Greco Roman 63kg category, Nguatjiti in the 60kg Greco-Roman category and Uys in the 125kg Freestyle and 130kg Greco Roman categories.
The NWF also announced that the Windhoek Open Wrestling Championships will be held at the SKW Hall on 18 July.
The Windhoek Open, which will also serve as the Namibia National Championships, will see male and female wrestlers competing in Greco Roman and Freestyle categories from u7 to senior level.
The deadline for entries is on 12 July, while more details are available on the NWF’s Facebook page.
