No pressure on Mboma and Masilingi

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISAWINDHOEK Beatrice Masilingi’s and Christine Mboma’s coach, Henk Botha, has warned the nation about putting too much expectations on the girls.Speaking on the ‘Sport Wrap Show’, Botha said he was not even thinking of Olympic medals from the girls yet, given they had just arrived on the scene.Masilingi’s and Beatrice’s form has been so exceptional that many Namibians have already tipped them for medals at the Tokyo Olympics.Botha however feels it is too soon to expect so much from them, even though winning a medal would be a remarkable achievement for the girls.“We are grateful for the way these girls have been performing, but I just believe it is a bit too soon to tip them as medal contenders.“They are going to compete in their first ever major tournament, which can serve as a learning experience.“Right now, I am not concerned about the medals but more about the development of athletes and that is why I do not want to put pressure on them,” Botha said.No pressureBeatrice and Christine, who also appeared on the show, said they do not feel any kind of pressure, given that their careers are just beginning.Mboma recently clocked 22.79 seconds over 200 metres at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Madrid.Masilingi won her 400-metre race in a time of 49.88 in Poland at the Orlen Janusz Kusocinski Memorial event.Their performances have led Namibians to believe that the girls are likely to bring an Olympic medal home for the first time in more than ten years. But Masilingi says her sights are not set on medals but more on improving and gaining experience.“It will be my first major competition and I will definitely want to do well in it.“I am however not worried about the pressure or do not feel under any pressure at all because I am here to work hard and get better.“I am happy with what I have achieved so far and can only hope to work harder,” Masilingi said.Christine Mboma shared the same sentiments. She insisted that dominating races does not automatically make her a gold medallist at the moment.“Yes, we have been doing well at these competitions but the Olympics is something different and people will not run the same way as they do in these meet events.“I am not concerned about medals but more about how I can get better as an individual,” Mboma said.Mboma will compete in Poland and France just before the Tokyo Olympic Games start on 23 July, and Masilingi will compete at the Wanda Diamond League competition in Stockholm on 4 July.

No pressure on Mboma and Masilingi

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-24

Please login to leave a comment

No pressure on Mboma and Masilingi

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-24

Please login to leave a comment

Login