Dar swimmer modest about medal chances
Tanzania swimmer Celina Itatiro in action during the national championships in Dar es Salaam early this year. Itatiro is in the team that will represent the country at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. PHOTO| FILE
What you need to know:
Itatiro, who won inclusion in the national team after putting up stellar performance at the national finals recently, says she will focus on improving her personal best at the showpiece, which will see hundreds of young athletes battle for medals.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s up-and-coming swimmer Celina Itatiro is modest about her chances of winning medals at the Youth Commonwealth Games planned for Nassau, Bahamas from July 18.
Itatiro, who won inclusion in the national team after putting up stellar performance at the national finals recently, says she will focus on improving her personal best at the showpiece, which will see hundreds of young athletes battle for medals.
“Winning medals is what every athlete craves. I also want to do so in Bahamas, but honestly it’s not going to be easy out there, so while I will compete to win, my focus is improve my personal best,” she said.
She added: “We will give it our best shot, but it’s good to admit that the swimmers from developed countries will always have an edge in such competitions.”
Tanzania will field two swimmers at the Bahamas event. The other is Collins Saliboko, who is also training arduously in the UK for the forthcoming assignment.
“The Bahamas tournament will also help us gain experience ahead of the multiple events coming from next year. This is a perfect learning platform,” she added.
Celina is among several young Tanzanian swimmers who are tipped to excel on the international stage.
She started swimming in July 2008 aged just five under supervision of a private trainer for a year.
A year later, she won a chance to compete at a junior tournament at the International School of Tanganyika (IST) where she caught the eye of Dar Swim Club coaches.
She joined the club at age 6 and her passion for swimming became evident during her training; her coaches recognised her talent and started pushing her rigorously.
She quickly evolved in the sport and in May 2010, she was selected to be part of the Junior Swimming Team, which represented Tanzania in the Maputo Swimming Championship where she bagged a silver medal.
At six, she was the youngest swimmer who had competed in an international championship and brought back a medal.
She knows it requires tremendous work, discipline, commitment and sacrifice in order to achieve this dream.
