Swimmers in action during a past championship at Kasarani Aquatic Arena / CHARLENE MALWA Over 600 swimmers from 60 teams are gearing up for the National Aquatics Championships, scheduled for December 4–7 at the Bandari Maritime Academy in Mombasa.
The short-course event will feature young swimmers from 18 counties, promising four days of fierce competition, with numerous races and medals up for grabs. Trophies will also be awarded to the top three teams overall.
The national meet will serve as qualifiers for the World Aquatics Championships set to take place in Beijing, China, next year.
The event has also attracted international participation from neighbouring African nations, including Tanzania and Uganda, as swimmers seek to achieve qualifying times for the global competition.
Kenya Aquatics secretary general, Collins Marigi, said the federation’s preparedness ahead of the much-anticipated event.
“We are in the final stages of preparation for the event. It is a qualifying event for the World Championship, which is why it means a lot to us. We want to select the best swimmers who will wear Kenyan colours on the world stage,” said Marigi.
He also praised the steady growth of aquatic sports across the region.
“The sport has made tremendous strides under Kenya Aquatics over the past two years because of the strong structures in place and the federation’s determination to grow the sport in Kenya," said Marigi.
"This has been evident from the just-concluded Zone 3 Championship and the Africa Aquatics Open Water Championship. We have put a lot of effort into developing open water swimming, water polo, artistic swimming, and diving.”
Nextgen Swim Academy head coach, Cian Omondi, said his team has intensified its training regime and expressed confidence ahead of the competition.
“We began our training immediately after the Zone 3 Championship. Since most of our swimmers are tied up with school, we’ve been training over the weekends at St Nicholas Senior School," Omondi said.
"We train our athletes to stay longer in the sport, focusing on building every component that helps them swim better at each meet. Our swimmers are well prepared, and hopefully, many will qualify for Beijing."
Ndirangu Don, who bagged eight gold medals at the Zone 3 Africa Championship, said he is eager to make the cut for the global event.
“I don’t just compete — I set standards. I know there will be a lot of pressure because everyone will be fighting to qualify for the Beijing event. I’m prepared for them. I can’t wait to fly the Kenyan flag on the world stage,” said Ndirangu.
