The Tanzanian squad included team captain Adil Abdulrahman Hussein, Rajab Hamisi Omar, Kabeer Rizwani Lakhani, and the nation’s sole female swimmer, Lorita Lameck Borega.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has officially made its mark in open water swimming following a historic debut at the 2025 African Aquatic Junior and Senior Open Water Swimming Championship held in Mombasa, Kenya.
Returning home with pride, the national team gained valuable experience and earned points in their first-ever participation in this demanding sport.
The Tanzanian squad included team captain Adil Abdulrahman Hussein, Rajab Hamisi Omar, Kabeer Rizwani Lakhani, and the nation’s sole female swimmer, Lorita Lameck Borega.
Despite being newcomers, Tanzania scored four points, finishing seventh out of nine teams, a remarkable display of determination and resilience.
A stand out performer was young swimmer Lolita Borega, who achieved two historic milestones.
She became the youngest junior swimmer to participate in the championship and the first female athlete from Tanzania to officially compete in open water swimming.
Displaying immense potential, Lolita reached the semi-finals of the 3 km sprint event, completing the 1.5 km preliminary race in 29 minutes and 54 seconds, which qualified her for the semi-finals, where she swam 1 km in 18 minutes and 24 seconds.
Speaking about her motivation, Lolita said she was inspired by her dream to improve her timing for Tanzania’s pride, alongside the unwavering support of her parents.
She encouraged other female swimmers to join the sport, helping to build a strong relay team capable of competing in 5 km events.
She also expressed her gratitude to the African Aquatic Federation for organizing the championship and called for more frequent competitions to provide Tanzanian athletes with opportunities to showcase their talents on the continental stage.
The male swimmers also showed grit and commitment. Rajab Hamisi Omar completed the 1.5 km race in 29 minutes and 38 seconds, while Kabeer Rizwani Lakhani finished in 31 minutes and 47 seconds.
Although neither advanced to the semi-finals, completing such a challenging race on debut was a commendable achievement.
The team faced a major setback when captain Adil sustained a hand injury near the final buoy during the 5 km race, affecting the team’s overall performance.
Additionally, Tanzania could not field a relay team due to the lack of female swimmers.
The team gained crucial insights into the competitive level of African open water swimming. They now await a technical report from their coach, which will inform future strategies and preparations.
While South Africa and Egypt currently dominate the sport, Tanzania has laid a solid foundation for growth and development in open water swimming.
The championship was led by South African and Egyptian swimmers in the 500 m finals. In the women’s 500 m, Callan Lotter of South Africa won gold in 07:50, followed by Amica De Jager (South Africa) and Arwa Faisal Alsharief (Egypt).
In the men’s 500 m, Egypt’s Mohamed Morshelly claimed gold with 07:31, while Moaz Bastawy (Egypt) took silver and Connor Albertyn (South Africa) secured bronze
