Two Medals Expected From Swimming Team At Doha Meet

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Botswana Swimming Sport Association (BSSA) expects the six national team swimmers who are leaving for Doha, Qatar to participate in the Swimming World Championships billed for 1 December 2014 to return home with at least two medals. The team; Kgosietsile Molefinyane, David Van der Coulf, Kitso Matija, Bonita Imsorovic, Seabe Ebineng and Deandra Van der Coulf will leave for Doha next week Saturday. BSSA spokesperson Priscilla Paker said competition will be too tough at the World Champs and they hope to come back with at least two medals. “Most of the swimmers have not been training because they were writing exams, so it would be unfair to expect too much from them. However we expect a medal from David Van der Coulf who schools in an institution with a high performance centre. Unlike other players he always goes for training after classes,” said Paker. The nation’s hopes will lie on the shoulders of David Van Der Coulf who has been the golden boy of swimming in Botswana. He bagged a bronze medal at this year’s Africa Youth Games in the 50 meter backstroke. BSSA Secretary Bongi Ruele revealed to this publication that national team star Naomi Ruele has a shoulder injury and will not be available for selection. The swimmer has not fully recovered from an injury that she got while participating in a swimming gala in Zambia. However, she still managed to win two silver medals in the 50 meters backstroke and 50 meters freestyle at the Africa Youth Games while still carrying the injury. Ruele was also carrying the injury at this year’s Youth Olympics. She was treated at a high performance centre at University of Pretoria this year before the African Youth Games but did not recover fully as the injury started troubling her again at the University of Florida in Miami, where she is studying. Further medical tests conducted on the swimmer at the American university showed that she had not fully recovered. “Naomi was ordered to undergo surgery while at University of Florida. She underwent an operation on her shoulder and is currently going through rehabilitation. So she will only be available for selection next year,” said the BSSA Secretary General. On return from Doha on December 8, the national swimming team will then travel to Zimbabwe for the Under 20 African Union Sport Council Region 5 Games which will take place on 10 December. However the BSSA will be forced to drop Deandra Van der Coulf from the squad as she is over the age of 20. At 21 years old, Van der Coulf cannot compete in an Under 20 competition and she will be replaced by Andre Van Der Merwe. This means the squad will have four men and two ladies.