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| Mia practicing in readiness for the tournament- Picture by Barnabas Zulu |
Zambia's Swimming
Representative at the 2018 Youth Olympics
ZAMBIA will
this year have a representative in swimming at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) scheduled
to take place this month in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fifteen
years old swimmer Mia Phiri, will be among thousand talented young men and
women drawn from various regions of the world to compete at this year's
showpiece.
Who is Mia?
Who is Mia?
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| Mia preparation heightened-Picture by Barnabas Zulu |
Mia Pays Kudos for the Opportunity Granted
When called
for an interview, the young swimming diver expressed gratitude for the
opportunity rendered to her to compete at the quadrennial tournament.
"I am honored to be representing my
country and the wealth of experience I will get at the tournament," Phiri says.
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| Mia diving into the pool showing her swimming prowess- Picture by Barnabas Zulu |
Why was Mia
selected?
The
selection of Phiri to participate at the Olympics is attributed to her
achievements over the last nine years that she has been in the sport.
In the local
front, Phiri has broken many swimming national records and this has earned her several
awards prominent among them: Best Performer in Local League Galas, Best Performer
in Regional Meets and more recently ZASU Female Swimmer of the Year for the 2017
and 2018 season.
Regionally, Phiri
has won 42 medals in both CANA Zone III and IV Championships in Eastern and
Southern Africa region in addition to other medals.
Other
Achievements
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| Mia (middle) flanked by two other swimmers-Picture by Barnabas Zulu |
Phiri has further
replicated her swimming exploits internationally as she competed in the
Hatfield Summer Meet and was honoured with an invitation to the British
Swimming Summer Championships in 2017.
At age 14,
she also participated in the Commonwealth Youth Games where she earned a 10th
position in 50 meters Backstroke event.
Furthermore,
Mia participated in the Africa Youth Games where she won a silver medal and
made history as the youngest swimmer to reach the final.
ZASU Praise
Mia's Achievemnts
ZASU Vice president
Adewale Grillo described Phiri's achievements as a success.
"As an Association, we are proud of Mia's achievement and we would like her to continue
working hard. Our hope is that she reaps more medals at the Olympics as that
will fly the country's flag high around the globe," he says.
Grillo further
applauded Phiri and other Zambian athletes who will be participating at the Olympics.
"The
Zambia Swimming Union wishes to congratulate Mia, coach Ian Stephenson and
other Zambian teammates for their selection to the Games. We wish them all the
very best," he says.
Phiri has
since departed for the event.
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Sources
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CREDITS
Story written by: Susan Ngoma
Edited by: Sherry Chabala, Ireen Watema and Darlingtone Kabambe
Photos sourced by: Barnabas Zulu
Posted : Valerie Banda
Layout Designer: Esnart Chikobeli
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