WATCH: Rising star Denzel Ngavi sets new personal best in 400m race

HARD work and a positive attitude continue to pay for Mosi-oa-Tunya High School runner Denzel Ngavi who keeps improving on his time in the 400 metre race, with a new record of 47.80 seconds.
He struck gold at the weekend at the Vinetta Swakopmund, Namibia.
After setting new individual time records of 22.7 seconds and 48.38 seconds in the 200m and 400m athletics events respectively in South Africa last month, Ngavi, whose target is to hit 47.65 seconds in the 400m category, finished the race in 47.80 seconds in Namibia at the weekend.
He participated against Namibia’s best under-20 athletes, Aoxamu Danny-Boy Otjiac who was the reigning gold champion and Amiss Eric, the silver medallist.

His determination and speed in the competition saw him romp home in 47.80 seconds in the 400m race.
He paid tribute to the support from his father and brother, as well as his coach.
“Under Coach Raymond’s tutelage, I have made tremendous strides and this latest win is a testament to hard work and dedication. I’d like to thank my father, Daniel Machaka Ngavi, for the support he’s given me. He had to leave everything behind only to come and support me at the Vinetta Swakopmund Stadium here.

“I improved from 48.38 seconds to 47.80 seconds. That’s now my personal best. The target is 47.65 seconds,” said Denzel in an interview from Namibia, after a tight contest with the defending champion who lost by a split second.
He has set sights on another competition in Botswana next week where he intends to continue to improve on his time.

The Mosi-oa-Tunya High School Advanced level pupil stole the limelight at the 2024 National Association for Secondary School Heads national competitions held in Victoria Falls in March this year.
Born in 2005, Denzel did 22.7 seconds and the 400m race in 48.38 seconds and loped into a sprinter in the 100m, 200m and 400m races.

He started as a long-distance runner at primary and lower secondary school until 2016 when he joined Mosi-Striders Club under the guidance of Coach Raymond Sibako, a sports science teacher at Mosi-oa-Tunya.
His close friend Tinodaishe Beta, also a 400m runner, was also coached by Sibako and is now based in Dubai.
They were the youngest in the club training with the likes of Dickson Kapandura and his brother Raymond Ngavi, which motivated them.

His first international race was in Lusaka in 2021 where despite finishing last, his time had improved to 52.43 seconds.
He was to finish 3rd the following year in Botswana with a time of 52.25 seconds.
“These experiences have shaped me into a resilient and determined athlete, ready to take the future challenges and achieve greatness in the world of track and field,” he said.
-@ncubeleon