Tafatatha saves Malawi face

Scotland-based Joyce Tafatatha saved Malawi’s face at the African Junior Swimming Championship in Lusaka, Zambia where she finished seventh among eight finalists in the 50 metres freestyle.

She completed her swim in 28:36 seconds—about two seconds behind the eventual winner South African Erin Gallagher and 41 milli-seconds ahead of eighth-placed Roxy Brown from Zimbabwe.

None of Malawi’s four representatives, including Tafatatha, Tayamika Chang’anamuno, Malaika Trindade and Makina Loga won a medal during the four-day contest at the 90-Days Legacy Swimming Pool.

However, the 15-year-old Tafatatha was the only Malawian who passed the test in preliminary stages while her teammates just managed to improve their personal best times in this contest that attracted 113 swimmers from 15 countries.

South Africa, which sent 20 swimmers to the event, emerged the overall champions after accumulating a combined team score of 815 points and winning 37 medals, including 20 gold, 10 silver and seven bronze.

Malawi finished on 12th position with six points while Senegal anchored the log table with a single point.

The hosts tied with Mauritius on 13 points to take the 10th slot.

Malawi Aquatic Union (MAU) president Dean Pinto said although Malawi ambassadors have failed to add a single medal on their mantelpiece, the union is happy that the four girls have enhanced their personal best records.

“It is not easy for one to improve personal best times in this sport, but we are glad our girls have achieved that. Special recognition should go to Tafatatha, who never disappoints us at international competitions,” said Pinto.

Initially, MAU planned to send 10 swimmers to the continental swimming gala, but six of them were dropped at the 11th hour after organisers insisted that only Malawi passport holders could carry the country’s flag at the event.

Expatriate parents of the dropped six swimmers had initially offered to transport, accommodate and feed the Malawi squad, but they pulled out the support after their children were removed from the squad.

Tafatatha was born on April 13 1988 of a Dutch mother. Her father comes from T/A Kapeni in Blantyre. She started competiting in swimming while at Saint Andrew’s International High School in Blantyre. She swam for Liyani Swimming Club.

She held a number of local national records, including two gold medals and a silver Medal at Cana Zone IV Swimming Championships in Mozambique last year.

Tafatatha participated in the 2012 London Games in 50 metres where she won the heat, but failed to win a medal. At 14, she was the youngest competitor alongside Aurelie Fanchette of France.

She recently moved to her second home, the Netherlands, to further her swimming career at St Joseph School Pienbhovem where she is also in Form Three. She went there after a brilliant showing at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, in which she swam her personal best time of 27:74 seconds.