Namibia National Paralympic Committee Secretary General Michael Hamukwaya says Namibian athletes’ lack of participation in international competitions was evident during the first track and field event of the 2020 Paralympic Games on Friday.
Team Namibia started its participation in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo with Lahja Ishitile, who competed in the long jump and 400 metre (m) sprint.
Ishitile finished seventh out of eight athletes who competed in long jump, while in the 400m sprint she progressed to the semi-finals where she was eliminated during the evening sessions.
In an interview with Nampa after the race, Hamukwaya who is also a coach, said at this level most athletes competing in the games had good pre-season training and a pathway that saw them compete in the International Paralympic Committee Grand Prix, as opposed to Namibian athletes who throughout the year competed in competitions at home.
“Today we had Lahja competing in two events and I could see her struggling in both. I know she had a slight injury earlier this week but that taken away, you could see that the level of competition in the field is really not equal,” he said.
Hamukwaya added that for Team Namibia to improve on its hunt for medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games they need to start grooming more young athletes. This would include exposing them to a lot of international competition where the cream of the crop in para-sports compete.
“We came with the weight and strength to compete but other competitors are at a different level. If we are to think of Paris 2024 there is a long way to go, we need to start grooming more athletes for future events. Having one competition throughout the year won’t help our athletes,” Hamukwaya said.
He noted that the current crop of athletes needs a challenge and therefore it is for the NNPC to start scouting for younger talent who can learn from elite athletes.
“The time will come when our medal hopefuls will fade. What we need now is more funding to go out to the regions and bring in all those young athletes waiting to represent their nation,” he said.
Team Namibia will continue competing in the championships on Saturday at 05h03, when Ananias Shikongo will compete in heat two of the first round of the men’s T11 400m race.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
