Maseru, Lesotho – Despite spending almost three days on the road because one of the two buses carrying Team Namibia to the Region 5 Games had a tyre problem, athletes are all brimming with confidence and relishing the opportunity of leaving a lasting mark at the regional youth games.

Basketball 3x3, boxing, gymnastics, netball, tennis, swimming and volleyball are some of the sporting disciplines that will kick off the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games today. 

One of Namibia’s swimmers Trisha Mutumbulua said she is well-prepared and ready to make waves at the Ha-Rapokoloana Centre, where swimming will be taking place. 

“I believe we have invested great time in our preparations, and a few local competitions that we partook in back home also added value to our overall preparations. So, I believe we are ready to go and get things going,” she enthused. Another swimmer, Michaela Ohm, echoed Mutumbulua’s stance, saying she is equally ready and vying to compete for top honours.

“We are prepared to give it our all. We have been preparing for the last couple of months, and I think we stand a good chance of winning some medals,” maintained Ohm.

Meanwhile, boxer Gebhard Ipinge said his mission in Lesotho is to make Namibia proud and showcase his talent to the region. The competition is also a great platform to gauge themselves against their regional peers.

“I’m ready for the games, and I strongly believe we have prepared enough to put up a great show here. Although we were called into camp very late, that won’t stop us from going for gold medals,” added a confident Ipinge.

Also speaking on the readiness of Team Namibia, tennis coach Ananias Niizimba expressed profound optimism with the country’s chances of dominating the games, saying the athletes are physically and mentally in a great space ahead of today’s commencement of the competition.

“We are optimistic that the team has settled in well as we had our first training on Wednesday. I believe the team is mentally and physically fit and ready to take on the challenge ahead of us.” Namibia, which also hosted the games in 2006, is being represented by a team of 77 athletes across various codes.

Meanwhile, Namibia Sports Commission chief Freddy Mwiya expressed dissatisfaction with the transport, and apologised for the inconvenience the team encountered. 

- mkambukwe@nepc.com.na