By Ntokozo Magongo
MBABANE – The country will be represented by five athletes in the 23rd African Senior Championships in Douala, Cameroon.
The event will also act as the last qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The squad of sprinters comprise of 100m and 200m national record holder Sibusiso ‘Swazi Bolt’ Matsenjwa, Mcebo Mkhaliphi, Thandaza Zwane, Mlandvo Maziya and Bongiwe Mahlalela.
They will leave the country tomorrow (Tuesday, June 18, 2024) for the games to be held between June 21 and 26. They were bid farewell on Monday by the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Darius Dlomo, Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) CEO Maxwell Jele and Athletics Eswatini (AE) President Zakhele Dlamini at Sigwaca House.
All the five athletes will compete in 100m and 200m while the four men will also compete in the 4X100m. The team is led by athletics coach and Royal Eswatini Police Services (REPS) Coach Mbuso Mabaso.
The country’s athletes will be up against top sprinters from the continent including South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia and Cameroon among others.
ESRC CEO Darius Dlomo urged the team to hoist the country’s flag high but competing or a podium finish. He said this was also their only and last chance to qualify for the Olympics Games to be held in Paris, France from July 26 to August 11.
“This is a senior team that is not under development and we are looking forward at positive results. These are the best athlete sin the country that excelled during the national championships and we are confident that they are going to compete instead of participating in Cameroon,” he said.
EOCGA CEO Maxwell Jele said the Olympic team will be announced after the African Championships.
The full squad:
1. Sibusiso ‘Swazi Bolt’ Matsenjwa 100m and 200m
2. Mcebo Mkhaliphi 100m and 200m
3. Thandaza Zwane 100m and 200m
4. Mlandvo Maziya 100m and 200m
5. Bongiwe Mahlalela 100m and 200m
