WINDHOEK – Namibian athletes with disabilities won 49 medals at the recent South African Disability Sport Champions in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
The South Africa Sport Association for the Physically Disabled and Visually Impaired (SASAPD) national champions took place from 21 to 23 March.
The competition was the last chance for Namibian athletes to qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games set for Rio de Janeiro in September.
Team Namibia won 27 gold medals, 15 silver and seven bronze.
On the opening day of the champions, Team Namibia won 17 medals, of which nine were gold, five silver and three bronze.
On day two of the champions, the team won 19 more medals: 10 gold, five silver, and four bronze, while on the last day of the champions the team collected 13 more medals of which eight were gold and five silvers.
The gold medals were won by elite athletes Johanna Benson, Ananias Shikongo, Elias Ndimulunde, Johannes Nambala and upcoming stars Rosa Mandjoro, Lahja Ishitile, Albertina Johannes and Tiheyo Kennedy.
Speaking to Nampa after the champions, head coach of the Namibia Paralympic team, Belinda Oberholster said the team did well, and athletes who have already qualified for Rio will now start preparing for the Paralympic Games.
“I am overwhelmed with the results and achievements of the athletes. They worked as a team despite competing in different events. We are looking forward to seeing our athletes improve on their times they set here and also working hard on all the mistakes they encountered in Bloemfontein.”
Fourteen Namibian athletes have qualified for Rio on the A and B standards.
Athletes who qualified for the Paralympic Games are Ruben Soroseb; Johanna Benson; Lahja Ishitile; Rosa Mandjoro; Moses Tobias; Johannes Nambala; Ananias Shikongo; Martin Aloysius; Reginald Benade; Nguluwe Etchegaray, Albertina Johannes, Johanna Katjikuru, Twegathetwa Eino and Elias Ndimulunde. – Nampa
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