The 2023 World Aquatics Championships (swimming) competition began yesterday.
For the first time, a total of three Gambian swimmers are representing the country at the championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
It is the first time also that a female athlete will participate in the event which also serves as an Olympic qualifier of the Olympic Games in Paris, France 2024.
The Gambian trio is Pap D. Jonga, Aminata Nia-Maria Barrow, and Ousman Jobe.
Pap D. Jonga, who is currently based in Abu Dhabi working as a swimming instructor is the first to represent The Gambia at the Olympic Games, in Rio 2016. Pap is currently the national record holder for Men’s 50m Freestyle and Men’s 50m Butterfly in The Gambia.
United States based Gambian swimmer Amie Nia-Maria Barrow (also called Amie Barrow), who was born to a Gambian father and a Finnish mother, is on her first international competition.
Already she has participated in many swimming competitions in the US with great success. The third Gambian swimmer at the games is Ousman Jobe. Born on 27 November 2005, Jobe is the youngest among the three swimmers. He is a fast-growing athlete and has so far participated in the CANA Zone II Championships 2022 in Senegal, and the 2022 CANA Senior African Championships in Tunisia.
The year’s World Aquatics Championships 2023 will provide him the needed exposure, and experience and it will also be an opportunity for him to improve his timing.
Aminata Nia-Maria Barrow will compete in her women’s 100m breaststroke today, Monday 24 July, from 1:30 to 4:30 GMT. She will return to compete in her final event on Thursday 27 July in the women’s 200m breaststroke.
Meanwhile Ousmane Jobe will compete in two events tomorrow Tuesday 25 July and Friday 28 July . Pa Jonga was in action as we went to press yesterday.
Source: Gambia Swimming Association
