Bluefins shatter three swimming records

DAR ES SALAAM: BLUEFINS swimmers snatched 47 medals in the just-ended Tanzania National Open Swimming Championships at the International School of Tanganyika (IST) swimming pool in Dar es Salaam. The club won three gold, 21 silver and 23 bronze medals.

The event featured more than 10 clubs with three Bluefins swimmers breaking national records. The club’s high-flying swimmer Kaysan Kachra who is aged 12, won two gold medals before grabbing two other silver medals and one bronze.

His teammate, Sahal Harunani, aged 15 years, won one gold, four silver medals, and two bronze medals. Sahal also set a new national record in the men’s open 400m individual medley event.

He broke the record set in 2017 after clocking 5:31:16 which is better than the old record by over 40 seconds. The national record since 2017 was 6:11:98. Not entirely satisfied with this achievement, Sahal went on to break the record in the men’s U-15 and in 100m backstroke after completing the event in 1:08:94 to smash the old record of 1:09:84 held since 2021.

Sahal was also part of the Bluefins relay team which broke the record in the Mixed U15 and over in mixed medley relay with the record time of 2:15:98.

Other swimmers who were part of the record-breaking relay team were Aaliya Takim, Avinav Mahapatra and Aliyana Kachra.

The old record time was 2:21:08 held since 2021 coincidentally held by Bluefins as well. Other Bluefins swimmers who won medals were; Zainab Moosajee who won five silver and two bronze medals; Aliyana Kachra won three silver and two bronze medals; Aaliya Takim and Aminaz Kachra both won silver and four bronze each; Abbas Abdulali sealed one silver and two bronze.

Also, Kaysan Kachra and Zainab Moosajee won the overall age group trophy in the age category of 11-12 as first and second runner-up respectively.