Cobus van Zyl led a strong performance by Namibia’s juniors at the Region 5 Darts Championships which took place at Gaberone, Botswana at the end of last month.
Van Zyl excelled to win the gold medal in the junior men’s closed singles competition, while his compatriot Marlo van Zyl won the bronze medal.
Another Namibian junior, Kayla Swanepoel also won a bronze medal in the junior women’s closed singles competition, while Namibia’s juniors won the silver medal in the team competition.
The strong showing by Namibia’s juniors saw them finishing second with 46 points behind Zimbabwe (52) on overall points won, while they won the silver medal in the team competition, finishing behind the winners Zimbabwe and ahead of Botswana.
“Namibia’s young representatives proved that the future of the sport is in capable hands,” the Namibia Darts Federation (NDF) said in a press release on Wednesday.
“The biggest youth success came from Cobus van Zyl, who delivered a standout performance to finish first and claim the gold medal. His victory provided one of the tournament’s proudest moments for the Namibian delegation and highlighted the talent developing within the country’s youth darts ranks. Claiming first place at a regional championship is no easy task, and his victory provides another encouraging sign of the potential within Namibian youth darts,” it added.
Zimbabwe were crowned the Region 5 champions with a total of 203 points, while Botswana came second on 183 and South Africa third on 170.
Namibia came fourth on 131, followed by Eswatini on 98 and Zambia on 45.
Besides winning the overall title, Zimbabwe also won the men and juniors titles, while South Africa won the women and veterans titles.
In the veteran women’s closed singles category Namibia’s Velena Abanus finished joint third to win a bronze medal, while in the women’s closed pairs category Namibia’s Tania Beules and Bebe Scholtz also finished joint third to win a bronze medal.
In the veteran mixed pairs category, Namibia’s Efraim Shivangulula and Maria Jarus finished joint third to win a bronze medal.
The NDF release said the championships provided valuable experience for the Namibian team.
“For the Namibian players, the trip to Botswana was about more than the results recorded on the scoreboard. Representing one’s country carries a special responsibility, and the players had the opportunity to compete together, support one another and experience international competition as a Namibian team,” it said.
“The championships provided an important platform to gain experience that cannot be replicated in domestic competition. Every match, every victory and every difficult defeat contributes to everyone’s development — both as darts players and as representatives of Namibia,” it added.
“The performances in Botswana provide another reminder that Namibian darts has the talent, determination and passion to compete beyond its borders. The lessons learned in Botswana will become part of the players’ development as they continue their journey in darts – and for Namibia’s young stars, this is only the beginning,” it said.
