They arrived from various parts of the capital and Angola, but not only that. Also originating from Mozambique, Cape Verde, Morocco, Portugal, Brazil, France, Italy and Russia, there are 93 volunteers who since the 30th have been helping to make the African Swimming Championship a reality, of which Luanda is home to the 16th edition . Everyone - even foreigners - are athletes or former athletes and also children of athletes in the sport.
The list is made up of 20 adults, 45 young people and 18 children. The vast majority of Angolans present come from the youth teams of 1.º de Agosto and the Clube Náutico da Ilha de Luanda.
When compared to the number of volunteers for Zonal IV, which took place in the country in 2023, the list of volunteers grew, Gizela dos Santos told Angop. The person in charge explained that the volunteers are divided into two groups, alternating between morning and afternoon, but there are even those who are present at the competition all day.
She recalled that this is an unpaid activity - respecting international rules of the sport - with the great added value being the possibility of exchanging know-how and experiences with highly competitive athletes.
Most of the volunteers speak international languages, being fluent in English and French, which facilitates communication with the vast majority of swimmers.
In addition, the volunteers also underwent training, given by members of 'África Aquática', learning about various topics, including discipline, responsibility, synchronization and supervision of lost and found items.
The 16th edition of CAN has been taking place at Piscina do Alvalade, in Luanda, since the 30th of April, ending next Sunday, the 5th of May. This Friday, the presence of Husain Al Musallam, president of the International Swimming Federation, is expected in the capital. A congress will take place on Saturday that will elect the new president of the African Swimming Confederation.
The third day of the competition, which took place this Thursday, was marked by Lia Lima's race in the 200 meter butterfly, which almost earned Angola another podium. The swimmer - who achieved, for now, Angola's only medal in the competition (silver) - was just 0.33 tenths away from third place, equivalent to the bronze medal. Lia gives Angola eighth place in the competition, currently led by Egypt (11 gold medals, eight silver and 10 bronze), followed by South Africa, Algeria, Senegal, Sudan, Mauritius, Uganda, Tunisia and Ghana.
