Kenya Aquatics Three-Day National Swimming Championship attracts over 400 swimmers

Kenya Aquatics commenced its three-day National Swimming Championship Gala at the Kasarani Swimming Arena in Nairobi on Friday. 

The event attracted over 445 swimmers, with participants competing across various categories.

Swimmers from six countries—Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Madagascar—are taking part in the gala. These nations have brought more than sixty teams to the competition.

Among the participating teams and schools are Aga Khan School Kisumu, Aqua Shark Fin, Crawford International School, Gators Swim Club Kampala, LICS Warriors Zambia, Malawi Aquatic Union, Silverfin Academy, and many others.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Maureen Awiti, President of Kenya Aquatics, expressed her excitement at the large turnout and warmly welcomed all the teams to Kenya, wishing everyone a successful competition.

A representative from the Ministry of Sports, Manyara, stated that Kenya is proud to host such a prestigious tournament and pledged the ministry’s full support.

Joshua Kaganda, 18, from Sailfish Kampala, told our media team that the competition was very tough, but he managed to sail through and win in his age category. Kaganda said he will use this event to prepare for his upcoming Uganda national competition.

Zoya Nurani, 11, who is representing MLS Schools, said she trained hard for the national gala because she knows that with a good time, she could qualify to represent Kenya at the World Aquatics Championships—something she hopes to achieve in the future.

Muwanguzi Muzafaru, coach of the Gators Swim Club from Uganda, expressed his satisfaction with the reception, stating that his swimmers came well-prepared to face tough opponents. He thanked Kenya Aquatics for the well-organized event and the excellent infrastructure.

Max Kanyerezi, meet director and World Aquatics representative, praised Kenya’s readiness to host the gala, citing the high-quality pool and supporting infrastructure. He added that many of the swimming times recorded at the event would be considered in selecting athletes for the World Aquatics Championships.

Omar Omari, Technical Director of Kenya Aquatics, said the turnout was extremely fulfilling, as it demonstrates the growing popularity of swimming in the region. Speaking on behalf of the management, he affirmed that Kenya Aquatics is ready to host Zone 3 and other regional galas.

The event will conclude on Sunday, May 31st. Winning times from the competition will be used to select national teams that will represent their countries at the upcoming Senior World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in July 2025 and the Junior World Championship  to be held in  Romania in August 2025. 

Some of the capped swimmers who have represent Kenya in various international meets who are present are Sarah Mose of  fithub aquatics(Seniors World Aquatics Championships  Hungary 2024, Africa games Ghana 2024 , Africa Junior Championship Mauritius),Saleh twalip of Bandari swim club, Imaara Thorbe of Baracuda Aquatics Nairobi(Africa games Ghana, Senior World Champion Budadest), Stephen Ndegwa of Bandari Swim club (Senior world aquatic championship Hungary 2024, Africa games Ghana 2024, senior Africa aquatics swiming championship Angola 2024)and Haniel Kudwoli of Otters Swim Club( Senior World championship Hungary 2024, Olympic qualifiers Bahamas)

DAY 2:

On Saturday, athletes from six countries showcased impressive performances, proudly representing their national flags.

JoyFaith Ndirangu an athlete who is a person living with disability aim to join  the national  Paralympic team said that the gala was tough but she gained lots of  experience while at it , Joy opening up about the challenges she faces every time while training is that it's hard to access   a pool that is friendly to people living with disabilities ,she hopes in future she will represent Kenya in the Paralympics in the world stage.

Kelseigh Keza, 15, a swimmer from Malawi, told our media team that she is using this national competition as a benchmark ahead of her upcoming national gala. She expressed excitement after achieving personal bests in several of her events.

Haniel Kudwoli, 19 who represent Kenya in the Senior world Aquatics Championships Hungary 2024 and is  from Otters Swim Club Kenya, described the competition as tough, noting that all participants had trained hard. He said he had to put in extra effort to excel in his event.

Maya Stewart, a coach from Malawi, said it was a great opportunity to bring her swimmers to Kenya. She explained that they would use the results from this gala to identify areas for improvement ahead of the Region 5 Youth Games under the African Union Sports Council, scheduled for July.

Collins Marigiri, Secretary General of Kenya Aquatics, commented on the progress of the sport in the country, stating that Kenya has made significant strides in swimming, particularly in terms of infrastructure and standards.