A trip down memory lane: Namibia at Commonwealth games

Windhoek- The Commonwealth Games are over and Namibia got two gold medals in Australia. But who else used to shine at the Games in the past and put Namibia on the map? Let's take a trip down memory lane and find out. The tradition of the Games was originally started in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. The inaugural event was- by then - still called the British Empire Games. Namibia's first participant formed part of the competition in 1994 in Victoria, Canada. It was the legendary Frankie Fredericks who took gold in the men's 200m final and bronze in the 100m final. In 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Fredericks made the podium again when he scooped silver in the 100 metres in a time of m 9096 seconds while the women's Lawn bowls team also got silver. Fredericks was at it again in 2002 when he scooped gold in the 200 metres in Manchester, England. Runner Agnes Samaria, Boxer Veiko Joshua and Ali Nuumbembe could only manage bronze at the time. Ironically, Australia turned out to be a good hunting ground for this year's winner Helalia Johannes as in 2006 in Melbourne, her husband Jafet Uutoni clinched gold for Namibia in the 48 kg category, beating England's Darran Jong Langey. Friedhelm Ferdinand Sack got bronze in the pistol shooting discipline. Uutoni almost repeated his luck from Melbourne in New Dehli, India in 2010, but could only manage Silver. Those were his last Commonwealth Games before turning professional. Namibia's golden girl Johanna Benson's rise to stardom was just being shaped then as she managed a bronze medal. Two years later she would be crowned Paralympic Champion in the T37 100M finals. In 2010, Gabby Ahrens also got bronze in Trap shooting, while Jonas Junias Jonas announced his arrival to the Boxing world with a silver medal in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014. Two years later he would be embroiled in a storm of controversy at the Olympic Games in Brazil. Johanna Benson also scooped 2 bronze medals in the T37 100 metres and T37 long jump. This year Namibia had a total of 28 athletes at the Commonwealth Games, managing to collect two gold medals. This bring the total tally of gold medals to four over the years, as well as four silver and 10 bronze overall. The Commonwealth Games mostly cater for countries that are former British colonies, but some countries, such as Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Namibia, are exceptions.

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Lesley Tjiueza