Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana’s swimming team delivered a historic performance at the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Championships held in Manzini, eSwatini, from September 3-7, winning 34 medals and setting a new national record. The team finished fourth out of 12 participating countries, scoring a total of 1,321 points. Their medal haul of six gold, 16 silver, and 12 bronze surpassed their previous total of 17 medals and fifth-place finish at the last championships in Namibia.
The team’s success was led by two standout swimmers. Twelve-year-old Jade Chilisa, competing for the first time, won three gold medals and set new championship records in the 50-metre backstroke (28.62) and 100-metre breaststroke (1:10.05). She also claimed gold in the 50-metre butterfly with a time of 32.34. Yun-Suh Chang contributed two gold medals, setting a championship record in the 100-metre breaststroke (1:14.33) and winning the 50-metre breaststroke (33.90). Melodi Saleshando also secured gold with a championship record in the 50-metre backstroke (30.75).
Botswana Swimming Sport Association president, Kgaotsang Matthews, praised the team’s overall performance. She noted that nearly all swimmers won medals and that each of the 16 athletes achieved personal best times. Matthews highlighted Jade Chilisa’s exceptional debut, winning medals in every race she entered.
Matthews credited the team’s coaches for introducing new training methods that included more swimmers beyond the national team. “The coaches have changed the way that they train swimmers. Part of our DTCB sponsorship agreement was to expand training beyond just national team members,” she said.
The team’s success is also attributed to the three-year, P1 million annual sponsorship from DTCB, now in its second year. Matthews stated that the sponsorship has already begun yielding results and positioning Botswana’s swimming team for future achievements, including the LA 28 Olympics.
Botswana will host the next edition of the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Championships in Gaborone, with dates yet to be announced. The team’s recent performance signals strong prospects for the home event and continued growth in the country’s swimming program.
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