Namibian sprinter Beatrice Masilingi will be the country’s sole representative at the upcoming World Athletics Championships that will be held in Oregon, the United States of America.
The 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships will be held in Eugene, Oregon from 15 to 24 July 2022.
Only three female athletes – Masilingi, Christine Mboma and Helalia Johannes qualified to represent Namibia at these championships. However, Mboma picked up an injury earlier this year and has not fully recovered while 2019 World Champs bronze medallist in marathon running Johannes will also miss out.
In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Johannes said she will be at the Commonwealth Games to defend her marathon title.
Athletics Namibia secretary-general Martha Emvula told this agency on Thursday that their hope at the moment is for Masilingi to do well at these championships for herself as well as her country.
“We hope Masilingi will use this opportunity as preparation for her upcoming events which are the Under-20 World Athletics Championships or the Commonwealth Games as these events are happening at the same time and we are not sure where she will be,” said Emvula.
On Mboma, the 2020 Olympic Games 200m silver medallist, she said: “Mboma’s coach Henk Botha informed us that she won’t be mentally ready to compete at this event as she just started with training and we hope she will be back to full speed soon.”
Emvula confirmed that Johannes instead is heading to the Commonwealth Games to defend the gold medal she won in Australia four years ago.
The secretary-general also stated that the federation needs financial injection from corporate Namibia and any other partners willing to help grow the sport as well as develop more talent that can represent Namibia at international competitions.
Meanwhile, Botha told Nampa on Tuesday that their focus at the moment is to get Mboma fully recovered.
“We just started with training and we hope [Mboma] will be ready for the Commonwealth Games. The World Champs is too early and as for the U-20 World Champs we won’t be competing because she already won gold there so our aim is the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
