Young duo praised after impressing in South Africa's Aquatic Championships
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 14.04.25. | 15:08
The duo are now on-course to representing the country in July's World Aquatic Championships in Singapore
Two swimming prodigies have earned praise for their incredible performances in the recently concluded 2025 South African National Aquatic Championships in Gqeberha.
The duo of Haniel Kudwoli and Stephen Ndegwa made their statements in the championships, emphasizing Kenya’s growing potential in the sport.
Ndegwa, 21, competed in three events - 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and 50m butterfly - finishing 37th, 24th and 23rd.
Though he missed out on the finals, the performance acted as an integral phase of his preparations for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
“Stephen is poetry in motion. His technique and competitive spirit have placed him on the global path,” Farkry Mansoor, head coach of Bandari Swim Club, where Ndegwa traces his roots, said. “He’s rewriting what it means to be a Kenyan swimmer.”
Kudwoli, on the other hand, continued his meteoric rise in the pool and delivered Kenya’s biggest highlight at the SA Nationals — a finals appearance in the 50m breaststroke, where he placed 11th overall with a finals time of 29.75 seconds.
His full set of events saw him also compete in the 100m Breaststroke, timing 1:06.94 (19th place) and 100m Freestyle, clocking 54.55 seconds in 69th place.
Kudwoli, already the national record holder in both 50m and 100m breaststroke (with previous bests of 29.06 and 1:03.44 respectively), proved that his talent translates on the continental stage.
“Making a final in such a high-profile meet is no small feat,” Mansoor said. “Haniel showed incredible nerves, racing among the region’s best and holding his own.
He’s earned the title ‘Kenya’s Breaststroke Barracuda’ — strong, sharp, and fearless.”
The SA National Championships, held at Newton Park, are one of Africa’s most competitive World Aquatics-sanctioned meets, and this year served as a qualifier for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore scheduled for Friday, 11- Monday, 28 July.
The duo are now on course to making the championships and swimming under the Kenyan flag should they meet selection criteria by Kenya Aquatics.
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