Namibian swimmer Mateus Angula has been invited to compete in the World Para Swimming Championships to be held in Madeira, Portugal from 12 to 18 June 2022.

Angula, who competes in the S6, SB5 and SM6 categories, missed out on a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games as he did not compete in competitions that formed part of his pathway to the games.

His coach Sonja Lindemeier told Nampa on Monday that despite training going well, they are financially not in a position to travel to Portugal.

“We have been invited to take part in the 50-metre freestyle event and we are busy with speed training. But with regards to funds, it will always be a problem,” she said, noting that the World Championships are an important as it accords athletes the opportunity to race against the best in the world and to see where they are ranked globally.

“These competitions are an important pathway for Paris 2024. To get invited to World Champs is not easy as you have to be able to swim a certain time and we are so excited that we achieved that required times,” Lindemeier said.

Meanwhile, Namibia Paralympic Committee (NPC), Secretary-General Michael Hamukwaya told Nampa they need N.dollars 92 000 for Angula and his coach to travel to the championships.

“At the moment we need funds for participation, accommodation and flight tickets. If Angula misses out on this type of competition he will once again not be considered for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games which will be sad news, as he has been working hard to realise his dream of representing Namibia at a global championship,” Hamukwaya said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency