Dar es Salaam. The Borega sisters are rapidly becoming household names in Tanzanian swimming after producing outstanding performances on both the continental and national stages, signaling the arrival of a new generation of talent capable of competing with the best in Africa.
In a remarkable week for the family, elder sister Lorita Borega made history by becoming the first Tanzanian female swimmer to qualify for the semifinals of the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Open Water Swimming Championships, while younger sister Leyna Borega dominated the 10th Tanzania National Junior Swimming Championships by topping the overall girls' rankings and setting new competition records.
The achievements have not only brought pride to their family and North Coast Swimming Club but have also highlighted the growing progress of swimming development programs in Tanzania.
Lorita, who is just 14 years old, produced one of the finest performances ever recorded by a Tanzanian female swimmer in open-water competition during the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Open Water Swimming Championships held in Mauritius.
Competing against some of the region’s strongest swimmers, Lorita successfully qualified for the semifinals of the grueling five-kilometre freestyle race after clocking one hour and 22 minutes.
The race attracted about 60 swimmers from different African countries, with only the top 20 earning places in the semifinals.
The talented Tanzanian further demonstrated her endurance and determination by also qualifying for the semifinals of the three-kilometre race, becoming one of the few swimmers to secure semifinal spots in multiple events.
Her qualification marked a significant milestone for Tanzania, as no female swimmer from the country had previously reached the semifinal stage of the prestigious continental open-water championships.
However, the achievement did not come as a surprise to those who have followed her development.
Lorita had previously impressed during a similar African competition held in Mombasa, Kenya, where she also advanced to the latter stages of the championships.
Her latest performance in Mauritius confirmed that her earlier success was no fluke and established her among the continent's promising young open-water swimmers.
Leyna
While Lorita was making history in Mauritius, her younger sister Leyna was making headlines back home at the International School of Tanganyika (IST) swimming pool in Masaki, Dar es Salaam.
The 12-year-old North Coast Swimming Club swimmer delivered a breathtaking performance at the Tanzania National Junior Swimming Championships, emerging as the highest-ranked female swimmer in the competition with 57 points.
Leyna's dominance was evident throughout the championships as she topped all her events, won multiple gold medals and set new championship records, leaving a lasting impression on coaches, officials and spectators.
Her record-breaking performances demonstrated her exceptional speed, technique and consistency, qualities that have made her one of the most exciting young swimmers in the country.
The championships attracted more than 400 swimmers from Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia, making Leyna’s achievement even more impressive.
Competing against some of East Africa's best junior swimmers, she consistently outperformed her rivals and established herself as the swimmer to beat in her age category.
Her success also played a crucial role in helping North Coast Swimming Club finish second overall in the medal standings after collecting 27 medals, narrowly behind Kenya's Bandari Swim Club.
Leyna finished well ahead of Kenya's Mariana Machocho of Bandari Swim Club, who placed second in the girls' rankings with 45 points.
North Coast's Cara Katanga secured a share of third place with Premier Swim Club's Melissa Shao after both swimmers accumulated 33 points.
Other swimmers who finished among the top 10 included Aisha Hassan of Lake Victoria Sports Club, Ithra Kahemele of Dar Swim Club, Catherine Elizabeth Jmes of Lake Victoria Sports Club, Evanna Namakate of Taliss-IST, Sophia Omar Said of Bandari Swim Club and Camilla Kyenekiki of Dar Swim Club.
For North Coast Swimming Club, having two Borega sisters excel simultaneously on different stages is a testament to the club’s commitment to nurturing young talent and preparing athletes for both national and international competition.
As Lorita continues to raise Tanzania’s profile in open-water swimming and Leyna rewrites records in the pool, the sisters are providing inspiration to a new generation of swimmers across the country.
Their achievements offer a glimpse of a bright future for Tanzanian swimming and suggest that the Borega name could remain at the forefront of the sport for many years to come.
