Tanzania’s national open water swimming team has described its debut at the Africa Aquatics (AA) Championships in Mombasa, Kenya, as an eye-opening experience.
This marked the country’s first participation in an international open water swimming championship, with four swimmers representing Tanzania two in the Junior category and two in the Senior category.
The athletes were Lolita Borega, Rajabu Omari, Kabeer Lakhani, and Abdul Rahaman.
Team manager Ramadhan Namkoveka praised the swimmers for their performance. “This was our first time competing in an international open water championship. While we did not win medals, we are very pleased with the team’s overall performance,” he said.
Namkoveka singled out Lolita Borega for special recognition. The youngest in her category, Borega finished seventh with four points and reached the semifinals in the 1.5 km sprint event, completing the race in 29 minutes and 54 seconds.
“This is a significant achievement for her, and we hope it inspires her for future competitions,” he noted.
He also revealed that Abdul Rahman, the team captain, was unable to finish his race after sustaining an arm injury during the championships.
Looking ahead, Namkoveka confirmed that preparations are underway for Tanzania’s participation in the Africa Open Water Swimming Championships scheduled next month in Conakry, Guinea. He added that further details will be shared with the public in due course.