Athletes gather for QSB camp
The Marathon Sugar Quinton-Steele Botes (QSB) training camp and coaching clinic takes place in the capital from today until Thursday while celebrating the hosting thereof for 30 uninterrupted years.The venue is at Affiespark, at Wanderers Sports Club in Pionierspark.
A special focus this year is to assist the country's middle and long-distance runners to develop to their full potential, with the Netherlands' national coach Grete Koens, as well as JJ Smith from Pretoria involved to pass on their knowledge and experience.
The QSB training camp was established in 1993 as an initiative of former Namibian athletics administrator and coach Quinton-Steele Botes and has gone from strength to strength thanks to input from experienced trainers from Namibia and abroad.
Botes died in 2014, but the camp was continued thanks to the tireless zeal of Leoni van Rensburg as main organiser. Over the years, it has served as a starting point for many athletes who have excelled at national, regional and international level.
“Quinton always said that training camp was the highlight of his year and I believe he would have been very proud of this achievement. This year we once again have excellent coaches from Namibia and South Africa, and even the Netherlands, who are ready to work with our up-and-coming young athletes," she says.
Coaches
Some of the returning South African coaches include Hugo Badenhorst for high jump and Charley Strohmenger for sprints and hurdles, as well as for the first time JJ Smith, a World Athletics Level 5 qualified coach who currently works with several of the neighbouring country's best budding young talent work.
Namibia's own Roger Haitengi will once again lead the long jumpers and triple jump athletes.
Other participating Namibian coaches are Henk Botha (who helped put Olympic 200 finalists Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi on the world map), Lucky Gawanab, Fred-Charles Pieters (hurdles), Ryan Williams (national discus record holder), Jasper Engelbrecht (javelin), Izane van Schalkwyk and Caren Swanepoel.
The training camp caters for three age categories, namely children from six to 10 years old; the elementary and intermediate program; as well as the high school and senior athletes.
Morning sessions are offered daily except Wednesday, which due to the reopening of schools will only be an afternoon session. The high school and senior groups also have afternoon sessions daily.
Sponsors and role players who help make the training camp possible include Marathon Sugar, Bokomo, Coca-Cola, ATKV, Food Lovers Market, Windhoek Afrikaans Privaatskool, Arebbusch Travel Lodge, Hotel Thule, Stampriet Groente, Pupkewitz Toyota, Gondwana, Crystal Gold, Heja Lodge, Konica Minolta, Pick n Pay, the Namibian National Olympic Committee, Damica, Likius First Aid Respond and Sign Factory.