Nairobi swimmers plotting to outshine Coast at national championships

By ERICK OCHIENG’

SWIMMING ANITA FIELD

Nairobi County swimmers are confident of outshining their Coast rivals at the Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) National Age Group Open and Relay Swimming Championships on November 25-27 in Mombasa. 

Buoyed by their success at the Nairobi Swimming Association (Nasa) ‘A’, double ‘A’ and triple ‘A’ galas that ran for three weeks at the Agha Khan High School where many posted timings above the national qualification standards, the swimmers will be hoping to extend their good run at the national meeting.

Hadasah Mumbi Gichovi of Loreto Convent Valley Road and Thorpe Imara Bell of Banda School will be seeking to outshine Emily Muteti of Mombasa Aquatics who at the weekend smashed 11 national records, at the Coast Swimming Association (Casa) Open and Age Group Swimming Championship. The records included the girls’ 14-15 year 200m Individual Medley that has stood for 32 years.

“I broke a national record in 50m butterfly in May and nothing is impossible, I am determined to do so in Mombasa,” says Mumbi who is also preparing for the Confederation of African Swimming (Cana) Zone three and four championships in Uganda.

Mumbi’s coach Lydia Musei says she is currently helping the class six pupil to work towards breaking her national records in 50m and 100m butterfly.

Mumbi also trains Alethea Sande of Splash Swimming Team who won for Nasa gold at the South Africa’s Telekom Swimming Championships in girls 12-13 age group 50m backstroke.

Bella, who has been on a steady rise since bagging silver for Kenya in the Cana zone three and four championships in Zambia in April, has hinted at how good she now is by winning in nine categories including the 200m IM (2:50.51), 50m backstroke (35.98), 100m free style (1:09.81), 100m butterfly (1:24.21), 200m freestyle (2:39.63), 50m butterfly (35.97), 100m IM (1:19.74), 200m backstroke (2:48.07) and 50m free style (31.40) in girls’ 12-13 at the Nasa triple ‘A’ gala at the weekend.

Anita Fields from Braeside School, who won girls 14-15 400m free style (5:00.24), is hoping to shine in the free style, backstroke and butterfly event in the national event.

Virginia Okumu from Braeburn also fought hard to finish third overall in the 12-13 years age group with silver in 1500m free style (21:11.33), 100m free style (1:24.67) and a bronze in the 100m breaststroke, an indication that she is out to shine at the national level.

Ian Ngatia from St. Marys School who won 50m free style and breast stroke, 200m free style and breastroke and 100m free style and breast stroke at the triple ‘A’ gala told FeverPitch: “After winning gold for Kenya in South Africa in the free style relay, I am now eyeing more titles at the national meeting.”

Other Nairobi-based swimmers who are looking forward to causing upsets in Mombasa include Martha Opiyo, Marco Pelligrini, Mathew Boyer, Samuel Ndonga, Ella Cottar, Edward Roest, Nasimiyu Khatundi, Nabil Saleh, Alexa Ngini, Chantelle Mukabi, Rhea Nawab and Nigel Nindo among others.

KSF will enter national champions for various international competitions including the Africa Junior Championships in Zambia next month where Kenya will take a squad of 28 swimmers between ages 13-14 and 15-16 years.

Other high profile championships that they will be attending next year include the Africa Youth in Gaborone, Botswana, Youth Olympics in Nanjing China and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

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