Swimmers from five countries for Taliss-IST event

Dar es Salaam. Clubs from Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and Rwanda will compete in this year’s Taliss-IST Invitational Swimming Championships, scheduled for February 22 and 23 at the International School of Tanganyika (IST) swimming pool in Masaki, Dar es Salaam.

The participating clubs include Malawi Aquatics, Kigali (Rwanda), Otter and Braeburn (Kenya), and Orcas (Uganda).

They will join 16 Tanzanian clubs, namely Bluefins, Braeburn Sharks, CRSC, Dar Swim Club, FK Blue Marlins, and Geita Gold, along with Malaika (all from Dar es Salaam), Leopard Sharks, Riptide (Arusha), and Mwanza Swim Club (Mwanza). A

lso competing are MIS Piranhas (Morogoro), LVSC (Mwanza), North Coast (Dar es Salaam), Wahoo (Zanzibar), and the hosts, Taliss-IST (Dar es Salaam). Taliss-IST Swimming Club team manager Hadija Shebe told The Citizen that all swimmers are undergoing intensive training ahead of the event.

“Taliss-IST swimmers are in intensive training ahead of this prestigious championship. Our athletes are competing among themselves to gauge their skills. Our main target is to defend the title,” said Hadija.

She noted that the competition will feature 256 swimmers competing in five different styles and relays, including backstroke, butterfly, individual medley, breaststroke, and freestyle.

According to Hadija, World Aquatics (WA) rules and regulations will be applied during the event. Besides adhering to WA (formerly FINA) regulations, the competition aims to familiarize swimmers with international standards as they prepare for global tournaments.

Participants will compete in various age categories, divided by gender as follows: Under-8, 9–10, 11–12, and 13–14.

Additional categories include females aged 15 and above, males aged 15–16, and males aged 17 and above.

The event will also feature relay competitions, adding to the excitement. It serves as a platform for the country’s top-ranked swimmers to showcase their skills against competitors from other clubs nationwide.

“The event is designed to keep swimmers active and help them maintain high competitive standards,” Hadija said.

Awards will be presented to the top three finishers in each event, with gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded to first, second, and third-place winners, respectively. The top performer in each age group will also receive a trophy.

“All events will be contested as heat-declared finals. Medal awards for the 100-meter breaststroke (Under-10), 100-meter butterfly (Under-12), and 100-meter backstroke (Under-12) will be based on final results rather than age group,” she added.