Tanzania junior swimmers bagged 22 medals at the just concluded Kenya Junior Swimming Championships at the Aga Khan High School in Nairobi over the weekend.
The team managed 12 gold, seven silver and three bronze medals to emerge top in the girls’ category and third placed overall.
Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) assistant secretary general Ramadhan Namkoveka said the team returned home on Monday night from the event that attracted 20 teams.
He said this year’s championships saw several teams from across Kenya and Uganda taking part. He said the Tanzanian swimmers swam their hearts out, the girls team dubbed “the conquering Lionesses of Tanzania”, garnered 126 points to emerge first place in the girls category out of 24 teams while Uganda Dolphins came in second place.
The boys’ team managed a respectful sixth place out of 19 teams with 54 points in their basket. Overall, Tanzania was placed third out of 29 teams with 230 points.
“Our swimmers’ spirit was high and the weather was just perfect. We had anticipated extreme cold weather but it turned out to be a sunny weekend and only got chilly at night. The parents cheered on our swimmers and chanted down the whole stadium with their songs. The crowds were so excited and each team was cheering at the top of their voices. But the Tanzanians supporters, mostly parents, chanted them down,” said Namkoveka.
Most of Tanzania swimmers were at their best on Friday afternoon, day one of the event. The event which they swam in day one was the 100meters Individual Medley (IM). This is where the swimmer swims all the four strokes together (25m butterfly, 25m backstroke, 25m breastroke and 25m freestyle).
Everyone who swam for Tanzania managed to outshine their opponents in their respective heats. Most of them won their heats and managed to bring down their personal best times (PB) by more than 10 seconds and it was the same story on day two.
The team members were Sonia Tumiotto (Team captain), Harry McIntosh (vice captain), Dashraad Magesvaran (boys captain), Smriti Gokarn (girls captain), Reuben Monyo, Njukia Kihara, Prashraad Magesvaran, Oliver McIntosh and Shiv Shreekumar.
The others were Gian Maria, Vansh Ladwa, Alexander Belikov, Urav Shah, Maia Tumiotto, Diya Patel, Amani Doggart, Celina Itatiro, Tessa Francis, Janice Njuguna, Selina Mehta, Maya Kihara, Mariana Pipollo, Piya Shah, Talin Stengel and Ursula Khimji.
They were accompanied by coaches Mohamed Abdulaziz, Alex Mwaipasi and Kanis Mabena and head of delegation Inviolata Rwelamira Itatiro. “We are proud of these young swimmers and their parents.
These boys and girls have done it, for the second time in Tanzania history. They have gone out, competed and brought trophies back home,” said Namkoveka. “First it was in Uganda Regional invitation swimming championship event that happened in 22nd to 23rd October 2011 when Tanzania came back with 76 medals and 2nd position trophy.”
