Hoaseb and Coetzee boost Namibia's Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games
Swimmers continue to break national records as Team Namibia enjoys another encouraging day in Glasgow
Brian Munango
  • 1 Day Ago 28 July 2026

Namibia's athletes continued to impress at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with boxer Phillip Hoaseb advancing to the next round, long jumper Lionel Coetzee qualifying for the final and the country's swimmers adding more national records.

Hoaseb claimed his second successive victory to remain on course for a medal. Reflecting on the bout, he said he felt more comfortable than in his opening contest.

"It was better than the first one," he said.

The Namibian revealed he noticed signs of uncertainty from his opponent before the fight even began.

"He was looking at me a lot in the dressing room, so I knew he was scared. I had to use that."

Confident after two victories, Hoaseb added: "Namibia, one down, another to go."

In athletics, Coetzee secured his place in the men's long jump final after recording a best leap of 7.66 metres, finishing 11th in the qualification round. After fouling his opening attempt, he recovered with jumps of 7.62m and 7.66m.

"I just wanted to make it to the finals. It's my first Commonwealth Games, so job done," Coetzee said.

He said competing alongside Olympic and world championship medallists was a privilege and thanked Namibians for their support.

"Every text message or comment wishing us good luck means a lot to us."

Namibia's swimmers once again rewrote the record books. Jessica Humphrey set a new Namibian senior and 17–18 age-group record in the women's 50m backstroke, clocking 29.08 seconds to qualify for the semi-finals.

Oliver Durand also established new senior and age-group records in the men's 200m butterfly with a time of 2:01.84, while Luke Beukes swam 50.69 in the men's 100m freestyle. Ronan Wantenaar also booked his place in a Commonwealth Games final after another impressive swim.

The women's bowls pair of Amanda Steenkamp and Diana Viljoen continued their fine form by defeating India in a dramatic tie-break, while Waylon Wentzel narrowly lost his men's singles encounter against the Isle of Man.

With national records continuing to fall and athletes progressing to finals across multiple sporting codes, Team Namibia's campaign continues to gather momentum in Glasgow.