Team Namibia Shines at SACA U18 and U20 Championships in Mauritius as Maria Kanyanga Secures Double Gold
Namibia’s young athletes delivered an outstanding performance at the Southern African Championships (SACA) U18 and U20 Championships in Mauritius, collecting an impressive haul of medals across track and field events over two days of competition.
The Namibian team demonstrated its growing strength in youth athletics, with athletes excelling in middle-distance races, sprints, hurdles and field events against some of the region’s best young talent.
One of the standout performers was Maria Kanyanga, who emerged as Namibia’s most successful athlete at the championships. The U20 middle-distance runner claimed two gold medals, winning the women’s 1500m in 4:35.48 on the opening day before returning to dominate the 800m final in 2:13.50 on the second day.
Another notable performance came from Matt-Reece Izaaks, who secured gold in the U18 boys’ 1500m with a winning time of 4:09.68. He later added a silver medal in the 800m, crossing the finish line in 1:58.63 to complete an impressive championship campaign.
Namibia also celebrated gold-medal success in the field events. Anro Bouwer claimed the U18 boys’ high jump title after clearing 1.96m, while Alexandra Scheepers won the U18 girls’ high jump competition with a clearance of 1.75m.
The team’s success continued on the final day when Christo van Rooyen produced a commanding display in the U18 boys’ 400m hurdles, securing gold in 53.20 seconds.
Several athletes contributed silver-medal performances to Namibia’s tally. Kazaatjo Kambiri finished second in the U20 women’s 400m in 57.51 seconds, while Ovaua Katjioungua earned silver in both the U18 girls’ 400m and 200m events. L’wyk Viljoen secured silver in the U18 boys’ shot put with a throw of 15.88m, while Halleluya Kaulinge claimed silver in the U20 men’s high jump after clearing 1.95m.
In the hurdles events, Jaco Potgieter showed remarkable consistency by winning bronze in the U20 men’s 110m hurdles with a time of 14.79 seconds before improving to silver in the 400m hurdles in 55.05 seconds.
Sprinter Ruano De Carvalho also enjoyed a successful championship, winning silver in the U20 men’s 100m in 10.42 seconds and adding a bronze medal in the 200m with a time of 21.38 seconds.
The strong medal haul underlines the progress being made in Namibian athletics development and highlights the country’s growing pool of talented young athletes. The performances in Mauritius provide further encouragement for the future of Namibian track and field as these athletes continue their development on the regional and international stage.
Namibia’s Medal Winners
Gold Medals
1. Maria Kanyanga (U20 Women 1500m)
Maria Kanyanga (U20 Women 800m)
2. Matt-Reece Izaaks (U18 Men 1500m)
3. Christo van Rooyen (U18 Men 400m Hurdles)
4. Anro Bouwer (U18 Men High Jump)
5. Alexandra Scheepers (U18 Women High Jump)
Silver Medals
1. Matt-Reece Izaaks (U18 Men 800m)
2. Kazaatjo Kambiri (U20 Women 400m)
3. Ovaua Katjioungua (U18 Women 400m)
Ovaua Katjioungua (U18 Women 200m)
4. L’wyk Viljoen (U18 Men Shot Put)
5. Halleluya Kaulinge (U20 Men High Jump)
6. Jaco Potgieter (U20 Men 400m Hurdles)
7. Ruano De Carvalho (U20 Men 100m)
Bronze Medals
1. Ruano De Carvalho (U20 Men 200m)
2. Jaco Potgieter (U20 Men 110m Hurdles)
Overall Kanyanga was among the top performer at the event seconding Chloe SIMON from Réunion Island who win 3 gold in the 100/200/400 meters Under 18 category.
