The
national open swimming competition concluded on Sunday, September 15, at
Tanganyika International School in Masaki, Dar es Salaam.
The event
was part of the annual calendar for the national swimming association and
marked the first competition of the 2024/2025 season.
A total of
238 swimmers participated, representing 16 clubs. Fourteen of these clubs were
from Tanzania, while two came from neighboring countries, Kenya and Uganda.
The
chairman of the national swimming association, Engineer David Mwasyoge,
expressed satisfaction with the level of performance from the swimmers this
year.
He praised
all participants and thanked the clubs from Kenya and Uganda for adding
competitiveness to the event.
Mwasyoge
noted the importance of these competitions in helping swimmers evaluate their
skills and identify areas for improvement.
He also
mentioned their goal of sending a larger group of swimmers to the 2028 Olympic
Games, especially younger swimmers aged 12 to 15, who have ample time to
develop their skills and compete at a higher level.
He
expressed confidence that by 2028, Tanzania could send a strong team to the
Olympics and possibly reach the semifinals.
However,
Mwasyoge also highlighted challenges with infrastructure, noting that the
government is working on these issues.
Alongside
the renovation of Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, plans are underway to build a
50-meter pool to support various swimming activities.
Additionally,
an Olympic-sized 50-meter pool is expected to be built at the Samia Academy in
Zanzibar, which will further promote the sport.
Mwasyoge
also emphasized the need to invest in coaches to ensure swimmers receive proper
training from an early age.
He said that building a strong foundation for young swimmers, starting as early as ages three to five, is crucial for their future success in the sport.
Asima
Gabriella, a representative from Uganda’s Ozpreys team, expressed her pleasure
with the increased competition compared to their last participation.
She also
enjoyed reconnecting with fellow competitors from previous events, finding the
competition both challenging and enjoyable.
The
competition ended with medal presentations to all swimmers who performed well.
Several records were broken during the event, including those previously set by
swimmers.
Among the
standout swimmers was Tanzania's Collins Saliboko from Dar Swimming Club, who
broke several records.
Delbert
Ipilinga from Talliss (IST) Club won multiple medals, including gold and
silver, and broke his own records from past competitions.
Aryiel
Angemi, a 12-year-old swimmer from Talliss IST, won the overall gold medal in
the 11-12 age category.
Again, Nicolene Violence, a swimmer from the Reptide club in Arusha was named the best swimmer in the 11-12 age group, having broken several national records that were previously set at higher levels.
Fidel
Kavishe from Premier Swimming Club in Mbezi, Dar es Salaam, won silver and
bronze medals in various categories.
Samba
Mhina from Riptide Club in Arusha also performed well, winning a silver medal
and breaking his personal records from previous competitions.
The national swimming competition took place over two days, beginning on September 14 and concluding on Sunday, September 15.
