Youths return as heroes

THE Namibian team that competed at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India, received a heroes’ welcome on their arrival at Hosea Kutako International Airport on Monday.

Wrestler Sem Shilimela was the star attraction at a press conference at the airport, where he proudly displayed the silver medal that he won in the in the 54kg category. He won his opening two bouts before losing to a wrestler from India in the final.Another Namibian wrestler, Lukas Thomas, came close to winning a medal in the 50kg category, where he advanced to the semi-finals before losing to an opponent from Canada.Swimmer Daniela Lindemeier reached two finals, in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events, breaking four age-group records during the heats and the finals.In the process, she also broke Dorothea Neumeister’s 28-year-old record in the Girls’ 17-18-year-old 100m breaststroke.Javelin thrower Strydom van der Walt finished sixth in the javelin final with a new Namibian U/19 record distance of 61,74m.This is however still short of his national U/17 record of 64,85m which he set at the COSASSA Championships in South Africa in May this year.At Monday’s press conference, Shilimela thanked his team doctor for helping prepare him for the final after he suffered an eye injury in his opening bout.He received a cut above his eye, which bled profusely, but he managed to recuperate after his doctor later inserted stitches.”I would just like to thank our team doctor who helped me a lot.The doctors in India were very slow and if it was not for him, I would not have been able to fight in the final,” he said.”I would also like to thank my coach and our team – keep it up and don’t lose hope,” he added.namibiasport.com.naHe won his opening two bouts before losing to a wrestler from India in the final.Another Namibian wrestler, Lukas Thomas, came close to winning a medal in the 50kg category, where he advanced to the semi-finals before losing to an opponent from Canada.Swimmer Daniela Lindemeier reached two finals, in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events, breaking four age-group records during the heats and the finals.In the process, she also broke Dorothea Neumeister’s 28-year-old record in the Girls’ 17-18-year-old 100m breaststroke.Javelin thrower Strydom van der Walt finished sixth in the javelin final with a new Namibian U/19 record distance of 61,74m.This is however still short of his national U/17 record of 64,85m which he set at the COSASSA Championships in South Africa in May this year.At Monday’s press conference, Shilimela thanked his team doctor for helping prepare him for the final after he suffered an eye injury in his opening bout.He received a cut above his eye, which bled profusely, but he managed to recuperate after his doctor later inserted stitches.”I would just like to thank our team doctor who helped me a lot.The doctors in India were very slow and if it was not for him, I would not have been able to fight in the final,” he said.”I would also like to thank my coach and our team – keep it up and don’t lose hope,” he added.namibiasport.com.na