Mauritius Success Not Enough as Kanyanga Targets World U20 Qualification
Despite winning two gold medals at the SACA U18 and U20 Championships in Mauritius, Namibia’s promising middle-distance runner Maria Kanyanga has yet to secure qualification for the World Athletics U20 Championships scheduled for August in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
Speaking to The Updated World, coach and teacher Simon Nkumbwa said the lack of high-level competition has been one of the main factors affecting Kanyanga’s qualification bid. However, he remains optimistic that her chances are still alive.
“It’s not over until it’s over,” said Nkumbwa. “There is still a possibility of competing in another event, likely in South Africa or Botswana, which could provide Maria with another opportunity to achieve the qualifying standard.”
Nkumbwa also called on Athletics Namibia to assist the athlete in accessing more competitive events.
“I think they have now seen what Kanyanga is capable of. They need to do something to help her participate in competitions where she can qualify,” he said.
The qualification window for the World Athletics U20 Championships opened in October last year and will close just weeks before the competition begins in August.
For the women’s 1500m, Kanyanga needs a qualifying time of 4:27.00. Her current best performance stands at 4:35.00. In the 800m, the qualifying standard is 2:09.00, while she currently runs 2:13.00.
Despite falling short of the qualifying marks so far, Kanyanga’s performances in Mauritius demonstrated significant progress and underlined her potential to compete at the highest junior level.
As things stand, Ruano De Carvalho is the only Namibian athlete who has achieved a qualifying standard through the SACA Championships, having secured qualification in the U18 100m sprint event.
