Preparations for this year’s National Para Swimming Championship at Shaaban Robert Secondary School are in full swing, organizers have confirmed.
Ramadhan Namkomveka, Secretary General of the Tanzania Para Swimming Association (TPSA), said the preparations for next weekend’s event are progressing smoothly. He expressed confidence that everything will proceed as planned.
“This is our third edition of the National Championship. Our main goal is to identify new para swimming talent across the country,” he said.
Namkomveka revealed that TPSA is still seeking TZS 16 million to finalize preparations for the National Para Swimming Talent Identification Gala.
He called on all swimmers with disabilities, including those outside Dar es Salaam, to register and participate.
“We want to increase the number of participants, giving us a better chance to discover new talent for the national team,” he added.
The TPSA official said the championship will focus on swimmers with physical, visual, and intellectual impairments, including cerebral palsy, autism, and Down syndrome.
He emphasized that the competition is designed not only to identify talent but also to develop skills, encourage participation, and raise awareness about the importance of sports for people with disabilities.
Namkomveka also highlighted that the event will serve as a platform to select athletes for the national para swimming team, which will represent Tanzania in international competitions, including the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
“We urge all para swimmers to prepare fully for the competition so that we can continue to raise the quality of our events each year,” he said.
Currently, Tanzania has only one internationally certified para swimmer, Gerald Sokolo, recognized by the World Para Swimming Association (WPSA).
All para swimmers must undergo classification, which has 14 categories: classes 1–10 for physical disabilities, 11–13 for visual impairments, and class 14 for intellectual impairments.
Namkomveka assured that TPSA is committed to certifying more local para swimmers under WPSA standards, aiming to expand the country’s representation on the global stage.