28 NAMIB TIMES
3 AUGUST 2018
namib times Sport
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Namibia performs excellent Rudi Bowe
The African Youth Games (AYG) in Algiers targets the 14 to 18 age group from 54 African nations with the aim of contributing to the development of African sports and the growth of Olympic values, as well as acting as a trial run for the Olympic Games. Namibia ended ninth from the 54 countries with 3098 athletes in 35 disciplines at the third AYG. Team Namibian was represented in hockey, rugby, gymnastics, equestrian, archery, cycling, karate, tennis, triathlon and wrestling performed extremely well and beyond expectations as they won Eight Gold, Seven Silver and 13 Bronze medals for a total of 28 medals to finish ninth out of close to 54 participating countries. The gymnastics team, coached by Veselin Kostin, was the most successful code at the Games as the Gymnast won a total of 5 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze medals. In artistic gymnastics, Emil Pitt won a Gold on the vault and a Silver medal on the floor exercise. Carane van Zyl won 2 Gold in the trampoline and tumbling categories, and in the synchronised trampoline category Carane van Zyl and Thalia Loveira won the Gold and the two girls Carane and Thalia won two more Bronze in the girl's team trampoline and tumbling categories with Thalia Loveira won another Bronze medal in the tumbling category. Lance Potgieter and Kamas Nechville won Gold in the boys synchronised trampoline category. Lance Potgieter, Kamas Nechville and Zacheo van Vuuren won Bronze in the boy's team trampoline category with Lance Potgieter won Silver in the boy's trampoline category. In archery, Quinn Reddig won Gold in the girl's singles archery category and Silver with Adrian Grobler in the mixed team competition. In cycling, Alex Miller won Gold in the boy's mountain bike category. The Women's Hockey team Kiana Cormack (Captain), Sonnet Crous, Jahntwa Kruger, Danja Meyer, Tara Myburgh, Kaela Schimming, Carien Rooyen, Joane van Rooyen en CelĂŠ Wessels won Silver. Namibia's Sevens Rugby team Bernhardt Wessels (Captain), William Otto, Sarel Louw, JeandrĂŠ Loubser, Lianzo Cupido, Le Roux Booysen, !Gonteb Donell, Romario Janga, Erik Strauss, Lyle Beukes, Donavan Resandt en
Aston Mukwiilongo won Silver. In show jumping, Jessica Kreiner won Silver in the individual competition. Namibia won 1Silver and 5 Bronze medals in the swimming competition with Ronan Wantenaar won Silver in the boys 100m breaststroke, and Bronze in the 200m breaststroke he also set three new Namibian age group records as well as one Open record at the Games. Heleni Stergiadis won 4 Bronze medals in the 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 400m freestyle events. In athletics, Ludwig Huber won a bronze medal in the pole vault category, while in karate Mayvonne Swart won bronze and Justus Saaiman and Hafeni Asino bronze medals in Wrestling The African Youth Games served as a qualifying event for the Youth Olympic Games which take place in Argentina in October, but Namibia's team must still be finalised by the National Olympic Committee. At this stage only the archer Quinn Reddig and Namibia's women's hockey team and the Sevens rugby team have qualified, while there is also a possibility that swimmer Ronan Wantenaar has qualified. The standing of the countries; 1 Egypt of 199 medals - 101 Gold, 55 Silver and 43 Bronze 2 Algeria with 226 medals 71 Gold, 72 Silver and 83 Bronze 3 Tunisia 136 medals 36 Gold, 46 Silver and 54 Bronze 4 Morocco 106 medals overall 29 Gold, 37 Silver and 40 Bronze 5 Nigeria came fifth with 103 medals 29 Gold, 32 Silver and 42 Bronze 6 South Africa 33 medals 15 Gold, 13 Silver and 5 Bronze 7 Ethiopia 25 medals 11 Gold, 8 Silver, six Bronze 8 Mauritius 31 medals 8 Gold, 9 Silver and 14 Bronze 9 Namibia 28 medals 8 Gold, 7 Silver and 13 Bronze
The Rock is 10-years-old The highlight for mountain-bikers, walkers and runners all over Namibia is with no doubt The Rock Spitzkoppe Community Run and Mountain Bike Challenge 2018 that will take place on 8 September 2018. This will be the 10th consecutive year that the event is being hosted at the Spitzkoppe area. The organisers are expecting an estimated of 450 entries for the tenth anniversary of the event. This is a very unique event, as it held within the domain of the Spitzkoppe. The Spitzkoppe community, represented by the Gaingu Conservancy and !Oe-Gan Traditional Authority. Give their blessing and support to the event. In contrast to many other sporting events of this nature, the focus is not on profit, but on sustainable development for the local community through sport. Orano Mining Namibia (formerly AREVA Namibia), Gecko Namibia, Herco Marketing and the ? Gaingu Conservancy is the main sponsors for this year's event. These are major players in the energy, mining and tourism sectors. The event partners have a deliberate social responsibility towards our direct stakeholders and the communities in the Erongo Region in particular. The event includes a 10 and 21 km for the runners and walkers, and 35 and 70km routes for the mountain bikers. More details on the routes will be shared with the athletes at a later stage once the route marking has been completed. A group of fat bike enthusiasts will also be cycling from Swakopmund to Spitzkoppe prior to the event, a private initiative that has become known as "The Fat Rock'. Athletes and visitors are encouraged to bring old clothing, shoes and blankets with them for donation to the local community.
Online entries are open at www.raceday.events as from 30 July until the maximum allowed entries have been received. All entrants will receive a shirt, and all finishers will receive a finisher's medal. For more information, contact Christine De Klerk at christine.de-klerk.ext@orano.group or 081 299 0945 for more information.
Photo contributed Antonie van Wyk of Gecko Namibia, Mark De Wet of Swakop Fatbike Tours, Angelique Botha of Orano Mining Namibia, Lucky !Narib, Chairperson of the Spitzkoppe Development Committee, Tommie Gouws of Orano Mining Namibia (at the back), Benjamin !Naruseb of Spitzkoppe Village, and Hilifa Mbako, MD of Orano Mining Namibia.