Namibia names angling teams for SA tests
The Namibian angling teams to face SA later this year were selected on Sunday following the three-day Bachmus National angling competition held along Namibia’s north-central shores.
The 2026 edition of the competition, which started last Thursday at Winston, saw 140 rock and shore anglers from Namibia’s 13 clubs competing for places in the national teams. The Bachmus Nationals serve as a trial during which national teams are selected to represent Namibia at the Gus Kohlner tournament in October, as well as the Gala tournament, where Namibia will host their southern neighbours in December.
The total weight of all fish caught per club determined the winner, with Orca Angling Club of Walvis Bay securing victory after landing 811,2 kg of fish over the three days, across Winston, Mile 68 and Mile 100.
Men’s senior champion Sven Welzig of Mako Angling Club recorded the highest total catch by weight, with 234,8 kg (23 fish). Namibia Shore Angling Association (NSAA) spokesperson Marcus Kirchner-Frankle of Benguela Angling Club caught the biggest inedible fish — a cow shark weighing 56 kg. Elaine Vorster was the ladies’ champion with a total haul of 66,8 kg (eight fish).
“It was a good tournament, and most of the catches took place on the first two days; the last day was a bit more difficult with rougher waters,” Kirchner-Frankle told Network Media Hub.
According to him, Winston produced a high volume of fish, including several young sharks, while Mile 100 yielded fewer but larger fish.
“All our sharks are released back into the ocean as soon as possible, and the conservation of our fish is a top priority for us — it is an attempt to protect this resource so that we can continue enjoying this sport far into the future,” he said.
According to him SA have many more rock and shore anglers than Namibia.
"When they compete in their nationals, it is between their different regions — here we only have our 13 clubs,” Kirchner-Frankle said, adding that Namibia remains highly competitive and that it is always exciting to compete against their South African counterparts.
The following teams were selected to represent Namibia:
The senior men’s team comprises Chrisjan Potgieter, Immo Dresselhaus, Sven Welzig, Pieter van Aarde, Brian Curtis, Rinus van der Westhuizen, Emil Prinsloo and Johan Spyker Kotze.
The ladies’ team comprises Lindie Krauze, Jacomine Heath, Maryna Viljoen, Elaine Vorster, Nadia Steenkamp, Renate Gruttemeyer and Sonita Arangies.
