Team Namibia below par
Team Namibia performed below par as they only managed to collect three gold medals, ten silver and 16 bronze.
Namibia ended eighth overall with 29 medals at the 2018 African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region Five Under-20 Youth Games held in Gaborone, Botswana from 6 to 16 December.
The team of 152 athletes competed in football (men and women), track and field, athletics visually impaired, boxing, basketball, netball, swimming, judo, volleyball (men and women) and tennis against nine other southern African countries. The team, selected at the National Youth Games (NYG) held in Windhoek in May this year, performed below par as they only managed to collect three gold medals, ten silver and 16 bronze. South Africa were the overall winners with 145 medals, of which 70 are gold, followed by Angola with 47 medals (16 gold), Botswana third with 69 medals (12 gold), Zambia fourth with 26 medals (12 gold) and Zimbabwe fifth with 51 medals (nine gold). Mozambique ended sixth with 22 medals (eight gold), Lesotho seventh with 13 medals (four gold), Malawi ninth with six medals (no golds) and Swaziland tenth with one bronze medal. Namibian athletes with disabilities won five medals (two gold, one silver, two bronze) in track and field. Immanuel 'The Bullet' Bernardo won two gold medals in the T11 100m and 200m.
Swimming
Namibia collected two silver and five bronze medals. Female swimmers Heleni Stergiadis, Tiana Esslinger, Ju-Ane Oberholzer and Zune Weber won two silver medals in the 4x100m freestyle and medley relay events, respectively.
Boxing
Namibia's young boxers were tourists at this year's event after their dismal performances in the ring. Only one boxer managed to win a fight at the competition to reach the semi-finals, while two other boxers reached the semi-finals without fighting in the knockout stages due to the limited number of boxers who showed up.
Namibia collected three bronze medals after three of their boxers were knocked out in their semi-final fights.
Basketball
Namibia's basketball team failed to win a match at this competition. They found the competition tough but had good ball control in their match against Botswana.
Namibia were totally outplayed by Angola and South Africa.
Track and field
This year athletes competing in the track and field events did exceptionally well as they collected most of Team Namibia's medals at the competition. Natalie Louw won gold in the long jump and backed it up with a silver in the high jump.
Chantell du Toit and Sandro Diergaardt won silver medals in the long jump events for women and men, respectively. Warren Goreb also won a silver medal in the 400m hurdles. Zurial April also added silver in 100m hurdles. Bernhard Wessels won a silver medal in the men's javelin event, while Wilmé Els also added a silver medal in javelin to Team Namibia's haul. Apart from the one gold and seven silvers, the track and field athletes also raked in four bronze medals for a tally of 12 medals.
Football
The national u-20 women's football team finished the competition in fourth place after losing to Zimbabwe. The women's team could have reached the final, but due to a lack of consistency by their goalkeeper, they lost their semi-final against Botswana after conceding silly goals from the centreline.
The men's football team were an eyesore, after failing to score a single goal in their three matches in which the conceded seven goals. All the players were selected from the NYG, but had no preparation before the Region Five games.
Judo
This was the first time Namibia took a judo team to the games and they were rewarded with a bronze medal. Juan Johnson won Namibia's first medal in the 91kg-plus category in the men's event.
Volleyball
This was also the first time Namibia took a volleyball team to the competition and the men's team won a bronze medal after finishing behind Botswana and South Africa, respectively. The female volleyball team finished fourth at the competition but showed character and room to grow. Both volleyball teams set a good example.
Netball
Namibia ended fifth in a group of seven teams. South Africa won gold, Malawi silver and Zimbabwe bronze. Zambia finished fourth, while Lesotho was sixth and the host country Botswana ended seventh.
Tennis
The tennis team missed out on medals in the singles matches and failed to qualify for the doubles matches.
NAMPA
The team of 152 athletes competed in football (men and women), track and field, athletics visually impaired, boxing, basketball, netball, swimming, judo, volleyball (men and women) and tennis against nine other southern African countries. The team, selected at the National Youth Games (NYG) held in Windhoek in May this year, performed below par as they only managed to collect three gold medals, ten silver and 16 bronze. South Africa were the overall winners with 145 medals, of which 70 are gold, followed by Angola with 47 medals (16 gold), Botswana third with 69 medals (12 gold), Zambia fourth with 26 medals (12 gold) and Zimbabwe fifth with 51 medals (nine gold). Mozambique ended sixth with 22 medals (eight gold), Lesotho seventh with 13 medals (four gold), Malawi ninth with six medals (no golds) and Swaziland tenth with one bronze medal. Namibian athletes with disabilities won five medals (two gold, one silver, two bronze) in track and field. Immanuel 'The Bullet' Bernardo won two gold medals in the T11 100m and 200m.
Swimming
Namibia collected two silver and five bronze medals. Female swimmers Heleni Stergiadis, Tiana Esslinger, Ju-Ane Oberholzer and Zune Weber won two silver medals in the 4x100m freestyle and medley relay events, respectively.
Boxing
Namibia's young boxers were tourists at this year's event after their dismal performances in the ring. Only one boxer managed to win a fight at the competition to reach the semi-finals, while two other boxers reached the semi-finals without fighting in the knockout stages due to the limited number of boxers who showed up.
Namibia collected three bronze medals after three of their boxers were knocked out in their semi-final fights.
Basketball
Namibia's basketball team failed to win a match at this competition. They found the competition tough but had good ball control in their match against Botswana.
Namibia were totally outplayed by Angola and South Africa.
Track and field
This year athletes competing in the track and field events did exceptionally well as they collected most of Team Namibia's medals at the competition. Natalie Louw won gold in the long jump and backed it up with a silver in the high jump.
Chantell du Toit and Sandro Diergaardt won silver medals in the long jump events for women and men, respectively. Warren Goreb also won a silver medal in the 400m hurdles. Zurial April also added silver in 100m hurdles. Bernhard Wessels won a silver medal in the men's javelin event, while Wilmé Els also added a silver medal in javelin to Team Namibia's haul. Apart from the one gold and seven silvers, the track and field athletes also raked in four bronze medals for a tally of 12 medals.
Football
The national u-20 women's football team finished the competition in fourth place after losing to Zimbabwe. The women's team could have reached the final, but due to a lack of consistency by their goalkeeper, they lost their semi-final against Botswana after conceding silly goals from the centreline.
The men's football team were an eyesore, after failing to score a single goal in their three matches in which the conceded seven goals. All the players were selected from the NYG, but had no preparation before the Region Five games.
Judo
This was the first time Namibia took a judo team to the games and they were rewarded with a bronze medal. Juan Johnson won Namibia's first medal in the 91kg-plus category in the men's event.
Volleyball
This was also the first time Namibia took a volleyball team to the competition and the men's team won a bronze medal after finishing behind Botswana and South Africa, respectively. The female volleyball team finished fourth at the competition but showed character and room to grow. Both volleyball teams set a good example.
Netball
Namibia ended fifth in a group of seven teams. South Africa won gold, Malawi silver and Zimbabwe bronze. Zambia finished fourth, while Lesotho was sixth and the host country Botswana ended seventh.
Tennis
The tennis team missed out on medals in the singles matches and failed to qualify for the doubles matches.
NAMPA
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