Namibia will host the 10th Junior and Senior African Gymnastics Championships and the African Continental Games qualifiers for the 2010 Youth Olympics in Walvis Bay from 28 February 28 to 13 March.
Bank Windhoek is the main sponsor of the event that will see more than 400 gymnasts from an estimated 16 African countries competing for honours at the Walvis Bay Indoor Sport Complex.
The countries that have already confirmed their participation are South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Morocco and Cape Verde, as well as the hosts, Namibia.
“This is the most prestigious event to be hosted in Namibia. Over 400 participants will compete in eight different championships. The President of the World Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Bruno Grandi, the first Vice and Medical Chairperson of the FIG Dr Michel Leglise and the Deputy Secretary General of the FIG, Nicolas Buompane together with 13 international judges will be attending the largest and most important gymnastics championships to be held on the African continent,” said the President of the Namibian Gymnastics Federation and Executive Member of the African Gymnastics Federation, Valereis Geldenhuys.
The championships will include various gymnastics formats ranging from the Men and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics competition, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Aerobics and Trampolining and Tumbling.
The participants and officials will start arriving on February 28, while the competition gets underway with artistic gymnastics competition on March 3, before the WAG and MAG competitions will be concluded on March 5.
The Rhythmic and Aerobics competitions take place from March 7 to 9, while the Trampolining and Tumbling competitions take place on March 11 and 12.
“For Bank Windhoek it is an honour to be part of such a historic and major event on the Namibian and African sport calendar. With our support we do not only encourage the youth to pursue this sport and live a healthier lifestyle, but also put Namibia on the map, for hosting international sporting events of this magnitude,” said Riaan van Roooyen, Head: Corporate Communication and Social Investment at Bank Windhoek.