The Tanzania National Open Water Swimming team returned home from Mauritius on Wednesday and said the championships has given them significant technical gains and also the team improved personal times.
The country was represented by four swimmers at the joint African Aquatics and Zone 4 Open Water Swimming Championships, the swimmers and their clubs in blacks are Adil Abdurahman Hussein (Bahr Swimming Club, Zanzibar),Kabeer Rizwan (Taliss-ISM Swimming Club, Dar es Salaam),Ethan Makalla (Lake Victoria Swimming Club, Mwanza),Lorita Borega (North Coast Swimming Club, Dar es Salaam
In a telephone interview before the team departure at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport , the National Open Water Coach, Khalid Rushaka, expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance, noting a commendable improvement in the swimmers' times.
"The championships provided a high-level platform, and our swimmers have done remarkably well, particularly in improving their personal timing and Lorita has reached semifinal again. Moving forward, I will work closely with the respective club coaches to further enhance these athletes' standards, ensuring even better results in future international events," Coach Rushaka stated.
At the Championship ,Elite swimmer Lorita Borega, who previously raised Tanzania’s flag high by reaching the semi-finals at the African Aquatics Championships in Mombasa in October last year , at the Mauritius event she also made the country proud by reaching the semi finals , she however fell short of securing a final spot.
Despite missing the finals, the technical bench described her performance as a display of immense resilience and tactical growth, framing the experience as a vital stepping stone for upcoming continental assignments.
Coach Ramadhani Namkoveka, who was among the technical officials who officiated the dual continental championships, highlighted the critical need for local swimming structures to align fully with global standards.
He said locals should also align to Strict Enforcement of World Aquatics Rules On the technical side, International Technical Official (ITO)
Namkoveka emphasized that the professionalization of the sport in Tanzania requires a zero-compromise approach to rules and regulations.
"While we are grateful for the opportunity to represent Tanzania on the international technical stage, the reality is that World Aquatics rules must be strictly implemented at home by 100 percent if we want our athletes to compete fairly and successfully globally," Namkoveka asserted.
The international official revealed plans to systematically transfer the knowledge and technical insights gained in Mauritius to domestic stakeholders through target-driven initiatives:
“For Coaches they must upgrade athlete preparation methodologies to suit open-water dynamics, for Officials/Referees: Enforcing officiating rules strictly at par with international criteria ,while for Swimmers they must Enhance their understanding of technical regulations and complex marine race environments,” said the coach.
He concluded that the Mauritius outing serves as a vital blueprint for the strategic development of Open Water swimming in Tanzania, with immediate plans to return to camp to rectify technical loopholes ahead of the next international calendar events.
