The grounds of the University of Technology (UTech) is not only home of “World Class Athletes”, but it is now the training ground for aspiring Olympians and World Champions in the sport of Athletics.
One country that has sought to build their athletics programme from the soil of Jamaica, is the African country Namibia. The Athletic Association of Namibia has sent a group of their top young athletes from 2013, to complete their tertiary education at the university. The ultimate aim is for them to a part of a long term training programme, with the objective of improving Namibia’s chances of winning medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Namibia’s biggest track and field athlete to date is the great sprinter Frankie Fredricks. He won four silver medals at the Olympic Games (two in 1992 and two in 1996), making him Namibia’s first and only Olympic medalist. He also won gold medals at the World Championships, World Indoor Championships, All-Africa Games and Commonwealth Games. He is the world indoor record-holder for 200 metres, with a time of 19.92 seconds set in 1996.
The current group includes several national champions, world championship and Olympic representatives over 400m, Tjipekapora Herunga, sprinter Globine Mayova, 400m hurdler Lilanné Klaasman.
On the male side there are sprinters Hitjivirue Kaanjuka, Jesse Uri-Khob, Dantago Gurirab and Adiel van Wyk
The athletes have been training with the Stephen Francis Led MVP Camp, with several of them donning the colours of the University of technology in various development meet since their relocation to Jamaica.
They however came together for national representation at the 2015 Utech Classics, in a bid to secure standards for the World Championship 2015, in Bejing, this summer.
Amongst their top performers at the meet were 27 year old national record holder and 400m champion Tjipekapora Herunga who ran 52.63 to win section one of the Women’s 400m, to finish 4th overall.
Speaking with Yardie Sports after the race, she revealed that she has benefited tremendously from training in Jamaica, and being in the MVP camp.
“This opportunity, I would not let it go for anything It’s really great to be here, and to be training with MVP and UTech. It has helped me so much. I have been able to train harder, and to be training with persons like, Kalisese, Stephy (Stephanie McPherson) and wire (Shericka Williams), has really helped me to be stronger.
“This has been one my fastest times since I have been to Jamaica. I came and told myself that I have to run my race and tell my mind that I can win”, she explained.
Having represented her country at two previous world championship, (2011, 2013) and one Olympics (2012) and made it to the semifinal twice at the world championship, Herunga is looking to make the finals of the 400m in Beijing this summer.
Klaasman who ran a National record, 60.88 seconds at the UWI Mona Invitational 2015 , to improve on the 61.12 mark set by Elrika Vermeulen in 2004, was only good enough for fourth in the women’s 400m Open Hurdles in a time of 1:01.34.
Not totally disappointed Klassan expressed that she did not get the race together as she wanted but will be looking to move forward to her next race.
“I wanted a better race, but I can’t complain, I will just continue to train hard and continue to compete well.”
Their National female sprint Champion and record holder Mayova finished sixth in the 100m College Dash with a time of 11.94 seconds, behind race winner Kedisha Dallas of Gc Foster.
Her male counterpart’s National sprint Champion, Kaanjuka (10.60) and Uri-Khob (10.67) Gilbert Hainuca (10.98), could only manage 18th, 19th and 28th positions in the men’s open 100m dash.
Dantago Gurirab and Adiel van Wyk – were a no show for the men’s open 200m, which featured the worlds fastest and Jamaica’s National and World record holder, the legendary Usain Bolt who won in a time of 20.20s.
Adiel van Wyk 6.58 metres was only good enough for seventh in the men’s long jump.
The second best moment at the Championship came when the Namibian team copped the bronze medal finish in the 4x100m Open Relay. The team clocked 40.76 seconds on their way to the third place with UTech in second (40.71) and G.C. Foster College in first place in a time of 39.64s.
A team of Klassan, Mayova, Herunga entered a team in the High School 4x400m Relay. They were unable to keep up with the speed of the school girls, as they only manage fourth with a time of 3:44.51 seconds (national record).
They were however excited to be in the race, after seeing their male teammates in the sprint relay earlier on. Their ultimate aim is for both teams to be able to line up in the 4x100m and 4×400 relay at the World Championship and the Rio Olympics.
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