Nambala and Shikongo ready for Berlin Grand Prix

BERLIN, 29 JUN  – Paralympic Games medallists Johannes Nambala and Ananias Shikongo have expressed their readiness for the 2018 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Berlin Grand Prix.
The IPC Berlin Grand Prix, which will be the last of the year, is set for Saturday and Sunday at Berlin’s Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Sportpark.
Speaking to Nampa on Wednesday after their first team training, Shikongo said he has prepared well for this competition and he hopes to repeat what he did at the same venue in 2016.
“We trained well for the whole year in Katutura and our one-week camp in the Netherlands also helped us really well, because we were using the tartan track which helped us more for this track here compared to just training at the Katutura Youth Complex which doesn’t have one,” he said.
At the 2016 IPC Berlin Grand Prix, Shikongo beat his toughest competitor, James Brown from the United States of America to win a gold medal in the T11 200 metre (m) race.
Meanwhile Nambala, who also won a gold medal at the same event with the NPC relay team that included Moses Tobias with guide Andre Oberholster, Martin Aloisius, and Shikongo with guide Even Tjiviju, said he has never been as ready as he is at the moment.
“I am looking forward to running my personal best in the 400m for the year since this is the last grand prix. I know competition will be tough but winning a medal at these championships will be a good boost for myself as well as the team, since I will compete in 100m, 200m and 400m,” he said.
With team Brazil also going through their final touches and paces at the same venue in Berlin, Shikongo said the competition has become more interesting.
“My biggest challengers are from Brazil and America. I did not know they were coming to this event, but I now have a good reason to bring my A-game when the competition kicks off,” said Shikongo.

NAMPA