Uncle Fareed and his pools of talent

21 April 2013 - 04:27 By SIPHILISELWE MAKHANYA
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READY: Shaheerah Seedat with coach Fareed Waja during practice in Lenasia
READY: Shaheerah Seedat with coach Fareed Waja during practice in Lenasia
Image: Picture: TSHEPO KEKANA

Promising swimmer Shaheerah Seedat, 13, is among the latest in a long line of young sprites to have been trained by coach Fareed Waja - an institution on Lenasia's swimming scene.

Waja, 61, is fondly but respectfully known as "Uncle Fareed" to his 22 pupils. He has been a constant figure at the public swimming pool in Johannesburg's Lenasia Extension 5 since 1987.

He said he continued to uphold the basic principles of the Lenasia Aquatic Sports Academy, of which he has been a member for 25 years.

"Our aim was to get every child in Lenasia to learn to swim and be water- safe," said Waja. He joined the academy one year after it was formed, when he had moved to Lenasia from the Jo'burg suburb of Fordsburg.

"I was into sport a lot back then. I played soccer, cricket, karate and so on."

He estimated that he had worked with about 2000 swimmers since he began coaching. Beyond basic water safety, though, Waja said he coached his youngsters to swim competitively.

He has been coaching Shaheerah for the past three years. She made the top 12 at the Telkom Regional Championships in Gauteng two weeks ago, after having qualified to swim in 11 different events.

"I couldn't have done it without Uncle Fareed," said Shaheerah. "He's always there for us and he motivates us to do better all the time."

The Grade 8 pupil said her best achievements had been competing in the regional finals and twice swimming the Midmar Mile.

She was disappointed at not being able to qualify for the national championships but felt confident she would go further next season, with the aid of Waja and the academy's team.

"Next season, I'm going to give it all I've got," she said.

Waja said although he gained the most satisfaction from teaching the basics to novices, he was proud of the times when his competitive swimmers had gone up against the best.

"There was one child that I took right up to senior nationals."

Inadequate training facilities for competitive swimming have often meant that he and his trainees had to give up after a certain point, however.

"Our biggest problem at the moment is still when it comes to the facilities to train our swimmers."

The academy pays rent for the use of the public swimming pool.

"You get frustrated after a while, when you get to this level and you can't go further," said Waja.

He often sees some of his former trainees around Lenasia.

"Most of them are graduates and they're all married now."

He is proud of all his young swimmers' efforts. Shaheerah, he said, had a lot of potential. "She's putting a lot of effort and hard work into her swimming."

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