Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Three young Namibian athletes won medals at the World Youth Games held from 26 to 29 June 2025 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mathew Coetzee took gold in the boys’ under-14 80-metre race with a time of 9.07 seconds, one of the fastest times recorded by a Namibian at that age.
Speaking after the race, Coetzee said the event was a great experience for him, especially since it was his first time competing internationally.
“It was a great experience running on an international stage. I enjoyed the race because I didn’t feel challenged by the other athletes. But I didn’t like the weather; the track was a bit wet and slippery,” he said.
“Even though it is my first time running in the 80 metres category, I like it because it is short. There is not much movement, but the start has to be great and put power into the track,” Coetzee added.
He said Namibia needs to host more competitions of this level to help young athletes gain experience.
“Yes, I think we should have more competitions like this in Namibia to learn new things and see how other people do things differently,” he said.
Jaco Potgieter won a silver medal in the boys’ 400-metre hurdles with a time of 56.07 seconds.
He said it was an honour to run in an international event.
“I feel great and honoured to run in a different country. Running here is unbelievable, and there is a big difference compared to Namibia and South Africa, as everyone has their own way of warming up and warming down. It is amazing to see different athletes with different vibes from different countries,” Potgieter said.
Ashley Martins secured gold in the girls’ under-14 long jump category with a distance of 5.41 metres.
