Visiting Zambian Club Hails Local Swimming
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday December 11, 2017 16:57
The championship started on Friday and ended yesterday. More than 300 swimmers from BSSA affiliates participated in the annual event, which is the local swimming body’s flagship competition.
Torpedoes manager, Mutende Mwamba was impressed with the quality of local swimming. “The attendance was impressive, and local swimmers have proved that they are top class as they gave us tough competition,” she said.
Mwamba told Sport Monitor that most clubs in her country were invited, but it was only her club that took up the offer. “It is not our first time here but for this small group, which is a selected group of eight, they are coming here for the first time. They are aged between 11 and 28 years. Our swimmers have had a good competition,” she said. Mwamba said they have around 15 clubs back home just like in Botswana, and are still learning. Asked what should be done to improve swimming, Mwamba said sometimes it is the coaching, whereby they should go out of the country to train or bring in an expatriate to train both the administrators and swimmers.
“Swimming is not expensive as most people think. It is the same thing in Zambia. There are some clubs which are not expensive and people can fit in. It is possible to start at school and if you want to go professional that is when you can think of clubs,” Mwamba said. BSSA president, Ruth van der Merwe said the annual competition attracted swimmers aged from 11 years to the masters category. She said the swimmers clocked interesting times and they had good competition from the Zambians. “Swimmers have been improving this year. They have been working hard as proven by the times they registered. Nationals are used as our benchmark and if swimmers do not take part they cannot be selected for any international competition. Nationals are compulsory,” she said. The National Championship was held a day before the commencement of the fifth edition of Botswana Games and most of the swimmers who competed at the championship were in town for the games.
Van der Merwe said plans are underway for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and James Freeman has already been selected to represent the country.
She said next year they are focusing on other international competitions such as CANA championship and the African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region V slated for Gaborone.