Teen swimmer gets timely boost from IT company
Veya Information Communication Technology (Veya ICT) has partnered with 13-year old junior swimming athlete, Jose Canjulo, to help him realize his goal of reaching the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar and beyond.
The ICT company commenced its sponsorship agreement for 2019 with a financial contribution of N$170,700 and has already provided financial assistance towards Canjulo’s participation in the SA Junior Championships and attendance to holiday training camps with SA’s most prestigious swimming coaches.
The sponsorship covers costs related to training, attendance to all international competitions, as well as costs related to dietary needs and training gear.
Speaking at the handover, the Managing Director of Veya ICT, Winnith Schrywer stated that the company was passionate about nurturing the next generation of sporting talent by assisting them to hone their skills and participate in activities to aid their development.
“Talented athletes are often prevented from developing and participating in competitions due to limited funding, restricting opportunities only to those who have a financially superior background,” she added.
Receiving the sponsorship, Canjulo shared his gratitude towards Veya for their belief in his talent and praised the company’s willingness to support him to become the best that he can be.
“I am fortunate to have this sponsorship at this age, already and it has given me a lot of confidence to do my level best in competitions,” he added.
Canjulo further highlighted the opportunities the sponsorship has already afforded him, specifically discussing his training sessions with some of the world’s best coaches, the opportunity to compete at the SA Junior and Western Province Championships, and now at the CANA Junior Africa Championships, adding, “I have learnt so much and I have grown so much.”
Canjulo’s aspiration is not only to qualify and compete in the 2022 Youth Olympic Games, but also to compete at the Junior World Championships in 2021. Recently, at the CANA Zone 5 Championships held in Windhoek, Jose won 7 Gold medals and broke 4 National Age Group Records and was awarded the Junior Victor Ludorm. He also won 4 gold and 5 silver medals at the South African Junior Championships, setting another 4 Namibia Age Group Records. He has also broken 2 Junior World Championship Qualifying times, in the 400 m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley.
Now that he has qualified for the CANA Junior Africa Championships, Canjulo has already departed for Tunisia with the financial backing of his new sponsorship partner.
“The sponsorship of any talented young sportsperson can help to create a leader or an ambassador for the future. All it takes is the right level of support,” Schrywer concluded.
