Ekandjo ends Namibia’s 10-year wait for World Championships

Namibian rhythmic gymnast Emilia Ekandjo will depart for Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to compete at the World Championships, ending the country’s decade-long absence from the event.The competition, held at Barra Olympic Park from Wednesday to Sunday next week, is the 41st edition of the prestigious International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Championships.The Windhoek Rhythmic Club gymnast follows in the footsteps of Nicole Bierbach, Namibia’s last representative at the global showpiece, who competed at the 33rd edition in Turkey in 2014.Ekandjo earned her place after impressing at various competitions, including the national championships in April. She will join more than 100 top gymnasts from 73 countries, including hosts Brazil, as Namibia’s sole representative.She will be accompanied by her coach, Wietsa Snyman, alongside African athletes from South Africa, Angola, Egypt, Cape Verde and Côte d'Ivoire.‘Years of sacrifice’The news of her qualification first stunned Ekandjo.“Being selected for such a prestigious event is challenging, especially from a country where rhythmic gymnastics is still growing. But my pride kicked in after realising that all my years of sacrifice and relentless training have been recognised,” she said.Determined to compete for herself and her country, she has increased her hours on the mat since qualifying three weeks ago, including attending training camps in South Africa to polish her routines.“My coach Wietsa and my mother have played a special role in my training and have been my biggest supporters since I started some seven years ago, after transitioning from ballet. My coach’s ability to see my potential before I could has made me enjoy and work hard in the sport,” she said.Role modelsBeyond the competition, Ekandjo is looking forward to meeting her role models and sightseeing.“I’m excited to meet Luana Gomes, Sofia Raffaeli, Wang Zilu, Bárbara Domingos and many others. This is definitely my proudest moment in the sport as it’s a dream realised!”If she could take someone along for moral support, she would choose her former coach, Ndina Simon.“She has a unique ability to calm my nerves, sharpen my focus and mentally prepare me before stepping onto the mat. Plus, she loves taking pictures, so it would be like having a personal photographer on the trip,” she said.Her advice to upcoming gymnasts is: “Work hard, stay dedicated and focus on precision. Don’t be discouraged by mistakes, but learn from them.”‘It has been a long time coming’Namibian Gymnastics Federation (NGF) rhythmic section coordinator Britt Adonis-Byl described Ekandjo’s participation as a “great achievement” for both the rhythmic section and the federation as a whole.“Getting Emilia out on the international stage has been a long time coming, especially considering the challenges - specifically financial - that we have faced. It finally feels like we are getting the recognition we have worked so hard for,” she said.She added that having gymnasts in both the junior and senior categories at the World Championships in the same year, following Kayla Duchaine’s historic debut at the Junior World Championships in June, is a significant milestone.“Emilia is a very hard-working, dedicated gymnast and I believe she is going to fly our flag high with immense pride,” she remarked.– mariud@nsh.com.na

Ekandjo ends Namibia’s 10-year wait for World Championships

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Ekandjo ends Namibia’s 10-year wait for World Championships

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