Tanzania swimmers Hilal Hilal and Magdalena Moshi hold flowers after arriving at the Julius Nyerere International Airport from Brazil yesterday. The duo competed in 50m freestyle event at the 2016 Olympic Games.
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A clearly elated Magdalena, who is the first Tanzanian female swimmer, was equally proud of her performance despite encountering setbacks prior to the Olympics.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania swimmers Hilal Hilal and Magdalena Moshi jetted into the country yesterday, wearing broad smiles after fairly impressive displays at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. The duo could not qualify for the semi-finals of their respective 50 metre freestyle competitions, but managed to achieve their personal bests. Hilal, who competed at the Olympics for the first time, believes that his debut at the quadrennial showpiece is just the beginning of a glorious era. The 22-year-old swimmer, who spent lengthy time training in Dubai, staged an impressive performance in 50m freestyle, setting a new national record. Hilal won the heat after clocking 23.70 seconds; nonetheless, his hopes of reaching the semis went up in smoke because 16 swimmers from other heats recorded better time than his. The swimmer noted that his debut campaign at the world’s biggest stage has left him with more positive lessons that will guide him in preparation for the next Olympic Games that will be take place in Tokyo, Japan. “The competition was tough with a lot of experienced swimmers, so I thank God that I gave it a shot and won the heat. It was unfortunate that I didn’t qualify for the semis,” said the promising swimmer. “The most important thing that I got from this competition is experience. I have to keep on working hard if I am to challenge these athletes next time and I hope by 2020 I will be ready to challenge for a podium finish. “This just marked the start of a new chapter. I didn’t win a medal, but just being there taught me a lot of things and I am looking forward to making a glorious participation at the Canada’s World Championships.” In December 2016, Windsor will welcome up to 1,000 of the world’s top swimmers from over 175 countries as they compete for World Championship glory in the 13th edition of the FINA World Swimming Championships. Before heading off to Dubai, Hilal was training at the International School of Tanganyika (IST) under the tutelage of Alexander Mwaipasi. A clearly elated Magdalena, who is the first Tanzanian female swimmer, was equally proud of her performance despite encountering setbacks prior to the Olympics. The Adelaide-based swimmer finished fifth in her heat clocking 29.44 seconds. It was her personal best. “We didn’t win the medals, but we have a reason to be proud of how we performed. It is difficult to win medals considering the state of swimming in our country, but this should now serve as wake up call,” she said. “We need modern facilities for many swimmers to train if we are to win medals in the next competitions.” Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) vice chairperson Thauriya Diria applauded the swimmers for their displays, but called on the government to support the sport by constructing Olympic standard pools. “Their performances are praiseworthy, but we would like the government to support the TSA in its efforts to promote swimming in the country. We need standard facilities if we are to groom world-beaters,” she said. The TSA official reiterated that the association will double its efforts in trying to support the growth of the sport in the country.
