Tanzania’s Lorita shines in African Aquatics Open Water championship

P0RT LOUIS: Tanzanian swimmer Lorita Borega has been acknowledged after reaching in the semi-finals of the African Aquatics Open Swimming Championship held over the weekend in Mauritius. She was among the four athletes who represented Tanzania at the contest, definitely competing with other swimmers from different countries. The Tanzania team was captained by Adil Abdulrahman from Bahr Swimming Club (Zanzibar) while others members were Lorita Borega from North Coast Swim Club, ⁠Ethan Makalla from Mwanza based Lake Victoria Swim Club and Kabeer Lakani from Tallis Swim Club. However, Lorita’s determination, hard work and discipline were key ingredients that enabled her to stamp another remarkable performance in her swimming career. In his briefing, Tanzania Swimming Team coach Khalid Rushaka revealed that he was impressed with his squad for their overall performance during the competition. “In general, our swimmers have done well mainly considering the fact that Open Water Swimming is still developing in our country and also, in this type of swimming, swimmers encounter different challenges like waves, strong winds, collision with fellow swimmers and not forgetting the pressure of swimming in a group. “But, kudos to our own swimmer Lorita continue to impress and this is the second time she has managed to reach in the semi-finals of 3 kilometers Open Water Swimming knockout…the first time she did that was in Mombasa, Kenya last year and now, she has repeated the same feat which shows that it is not luck but rather ample preparations, experience and confidence,” he said. Adding, the coach said for Makalla, it was his first time to compete in Open Water Swimming and he showed great resistance while Kabeer continued to scale up his performance…for Adil, he pointed out that he picked up an injury that prevented him from contesting for the 3 kilometers knockout. On what they have learnt from the competition, coach Rushaka insisted that Open Water Swimming needs special and long term preparations plus having swimmers with capacity to know well oceanic changes, ability to sustain waves, swimming in a group, contain pressure as well as having right strategies to compete. “We have also learned about the importance of giving our swimmers international exposure like Lorita whose Mombasa experience has enabled her to approach this contest with confidence while for other swimmers like Ethan who competed for the first time, it is a big lesson for them. “As a nation, we need to start preparations in advance for these contests, conducting group camps, performing adequate ocean drills, investing in coaches and technical officials as well as developing sustainable Open Water Swimming guidelines to be practiced from the grassroot level,” he said. In terms of potential, the coach elaborated that Tanzania is blessed with talented swimmers who just need to be well nurtured in order to create a strong Open Water Swimming team ready to stamp success in upcoming championships. On his part, Ramadhan Namkoveka, who was the only Tanzanian Open Water Technical Official at the competition commended the Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) and the TSA Open Water Committee for appointing and trusting him to lead such an international role. “Let me also thank the Mauritius Aquatics for their warm hospitality and cooperation, and specifically to the Chief Referee, Ms. Ronel Bekker from South Africa, whose exceptional guidance was invaluable throughout the championship. “My experience as a Technical Official at this level has provided profound insights and exposed areas where we must elevate our local competitions. The differences in organization and execution are clear, particularly in three key areas: “Prioritizing Athlete Safety & Environmental Monitoring: At this level, athlete safety is paramount. Water conditions are closely monitored, with testing beginning two days prior to the event. Crucially, water temperature is tested and recorded every single hour throughout the competition to ensure it strictly complies with safety standards. “Precision in Technical Roles: Every official operates with absolute clarity regarding their specific roles. The Chief Referee, Assistant Referees, Turn Judges, and the Recorder work in perfect synergy. The Recorder, in particular, maintains a meticulous log of swimmers’ times and every single event or incident that occurs before, during, and after the race. ALSO READ: Tanzania deploys four athletes for Open Water Swimming Championships “Integration of Modern Technology: The use of advanced technology is seamless. From transponders (microchips) worn by swimmers and integrated system stopwatches, to continuous, real-time communication networks among all officiating staff—including the Clerk of Course—technology ensures flawless accuracy,” he said. Namkoveka continued: “Moving forward, if we want Tanzania to domi