- Four in Israel for World Aquatics Junior Championships
GAZETTE REPORTER
Heartfelt delight has been expressed about the P100,000 sponsorship of Botswana Swimming Sport Association (BSSA) by Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB) to enable the participation of four talented Batswana swimmers in the World Aquatics Junior Championships in Netanya, Israel.
The four – Melodi Saleshando, Mmusi Matthews, Tumo Matija, and Gaamangwe Junior Ketsile – are already in Israel for the competition that began on 4 September and is scheduled to end on 9 September.
This sponsorship was presented to the (BSSA) at the University of Botswana poolside.
In a telephone interview with Gazette Sports this week, the spokesperson of BSSA, Gwendolyn Harry, expressed profound gratitude to DTCB for the sponsorship.
Parents relieved
She emphasised the crucial role that such support plays in the sporting lives of athletes and how it relieves parents of the burden that typically accompanies their children’s international endeavours.
“For our athletes to compete at the international level and get exposure to world-class swimming requires not only dedication and talent on the part of the swimmer but also financial support, a burden that most of the time falls on the parents.
“This generous financial support has alleviated this burden and afforded the four swimmers the opportunity to experience competitive swimming on an international platform.
High-pressure competition
“We are confident that the times that each swimmer will post in their different races will prove that this is a step in the right direction in terms of our long-term development programmes for the swimmers.”
Harry went on to underscore the significant benefits of DTCB’s sponsorship, including exposure to high-pressure competition and the invaluable lessons it imparts on athletes in terms of training and readiness for international competitions.
“Unlike other sporting codes, swimming is not a seasonal sport and all four athletes have been hard at work, both in the water and a rigorous dryland training regime,” she noted.
National and regional rankings
“All four are seasoned swimmers who have represented the country in numerous different tours. We are confident that they will do their best.”
Asked about the team’s goals in Israel, Harry responded: “Our target is for the four swimmers to go out determined to better their Personal Bests (PBs) by a significant margin.
“This will be the first time three of the four swimmers compete in an international competition, but they have competed regionally.
“We understand that this is a daunting and highly pressurised competition. Our target for them is to improve on their current national and regional rankings.”