NAIROBI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will join 13 other countries for the CANA Zone IV Championships, taking place in February 2020 in Gaborone, Botswana.
A total of 40 Kenyans took part in the African Swimming Confederation (CANA) Zone 3 swimming championship, which was held in Nairobi in April and they will make the team that will head to Gaborone to seek Olympic qualifying time.
The tournament is open to the team from Southern African region. Alongside Kenya, there will be swimmers from Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
"We are pleased to inform you that Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) has approved the CANA Zone IV Championships in Botswana, as a meet where swimmers can achieve the FINA "A" and "B" Swimming Qualifying Standard-Times for the Olympics," FINA said in a statement on Wednesday.
The CANA Zone IV's annual swimming event has grown in standing within Africa over the past 19 years. FINA has recognized the event, which promises to have some top-class swimming on show as well as some of the young talents and upcoming swimmers that this region has to offer.
Kenyan swimmers are focused on setting times that will see them not only qualify for the Olympic Games but also win medals at the games held after every four years.
According to FINA, each country may enter a maximum of two qualified athletes in each individual event at the Tokyo Games, but only if both athletes have attained the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT).
Alongside the CANA Zone IV competition, the continent's best swimmers will still have a second chance to hit the marks during the African Swimming Championships, which will be held in Durban, South Africa from April 17-21, 2020.
