Rivalries, reputations and a search for new prospects

Athletics Namibia’s senior national track and field championships will be held at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek this weekend, starting Friday (15:00–21:30) and continuing on Saturday (08:30–15:30).Despite the expected absence of the country’s two young Olympic superstars Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, spectators can look forward to a variety of mouth-watering match-ups, experiencing the next unexpected prospects announcing their readiness to step up to the international level.A truly top class rivalry will be seen in the men’s discus throw (19:30 Friday) between Namibian champion Ryan Williams and South Africa’s Werner Visser, married to a Namibian and now living in Windhoek.At the 2022 African championship in Mauritius, Visser won gold with a 61.8-metre throw, while Williams won his country’s only medal (bronze, 56.70). Visser also qualified for the world championship in Oregon, USA, but finished 27th (58.44).Two teenage male high jumpers who have both reached 2.00 metres this season should provide a competition to look forward to, namely 16-year-old Josia Katroli (Tsaraxa-Aibes Club) and Carsten Diergaardt (18) of QSB Club.Two of the three male 400 metres qualifiers for last year’s African championship will challenge for the national title. Ivan Danny Geldenhuys, the 2022 national title holder (46.27), will be absent due to a hamstring strain, but Mahmad Bock and André Retief will be striving to build on last year’s African and Commonwealth Games qualifications.Daniel Paulus, who has recently erased the legendary Luketz Swartbooi’s long-standing national records at 21 km and the marathon, should further enhance his growing reputation in the 5 000 metres.Sprinters Gilbert Hainuca and Elvis Gaseb, Jade Nangula and Ndawana Haitembu, as well as long jumpers Sandro Diergaardt and Lionel Coetzee are also ones to watch.Among the Paralympians, the new generation is also ready to challenge the established star performers such as Ananias Shikongo, Johannes Nambala, Bradley Murere, Lahja Ishitile and Johanna Benson.Only the best eight performers per event in the Grand Prix series were invited by Athletics Namibia. Each region may also enter a maximum of three per event in addition to the invited athletes, provided such athletes have met the qualification standards. The championship is open to seniors, or athletes at least 15 years old this year.The stage is set. A thrilling weekend to look forward to. Will we see records being broken? Will we see new athletes come through the ranks?You can find all this out by tuning into NTV (DStv channel 285 or GoTv 94) to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

Rivalries, reputations and a search for new prospects

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Republikein 2026-01-13

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Rivalries, reputations and a search for new prospects

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Republikein 2026-01-13

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