Bianchi leads Kenyan team to Africa Junior Swimming Championships

Kenya Aquatics on Friday 17 November named a talented squad of 21 swimmers for the prestigious 15th Africa Aquatics Junior Swimming Championship scheduled in Mauritius early next month.

Among the notable rising swimmers in the squad includes Maria Bianchi, who was a standout feature in November’s National Swimming Championships held at the Kasarani Stadium.

Bianchi also holds multiple national records, and was among the swimmers making waves at this year’s Kenya Secondary School Sports Association Games.

Joining her on the traveling team will be Nathan Matimu, Sara Mose and Aker Mutinda, all with national team experience.

The Junior Championships will be the first event Kenyan swimmers will be participating in, following the decision by World Aquatics in mid-October to lift the ban on the formerly known Kenya Swimming Federation.

As a result, the newly installed Kenya Aquatics Executive Committee aims to revamp diverse aquatic sports such as water polo, artistic swimming, diving, and open water swimming to broaden the sport's appeal.

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Leading the team for Kenya will be Mombasa’s Blue Ocean Swimming Club head coach Mohamed Ahmed, who will be assisted by Mary Njogu, an experienced coach with experience in international meets, and recently led Braeburn Swimming Club to an overall win in the Kenya Aquatics National Time Trials held at Kasarani.

The team manager will be Elizabeth Chelagat, a respected financial consultant and a key figure in the swimming community.

Meanwhile, preparations for the 8th Africa Aquatics Zone 3 Swimming Championship scheduled for next week in Kigali, Rwanda are in top gear.

Kenya’s team is expected to depart on 21 November, with the much anticipated event featuring national swim teams of countries mostly from East Africa and its neighboring regions.