RES SCHOOL THEMBELISHA WINS 2026 ISASA PRIMARY SCHOOLS ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

BY SIBUSISEKILE NDLANGAMANDLA

SIMUNYE – Thembelisha Preparatory School, a school at the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation (RES), emerged as the overall champions of the 2026 Independent Schools of Southern Africa (ISASA) Eswatini Primary Schools Interschools Athletics Championships after edging Usutu Forest School by just four points in one of the closest finishes in the competition’s history.

Hosted by Thembelisha on Saturday, 1 August, its Senior Preparatory Campus, the track and field championships brought together 12 ISASA-affiliated primary schools from across Eswatini, making it the largest edition of the event staged in the country to date. Participating schools included Thembelisha, Usutu Forest School, Jabulile, Hlanganani, Project Canaan, Ubombo Primary School, Premier, Imbuyiselo, Sifundzani, Montessori, Living Waters and Enjabulweni.

The championships were held over two days. Field events took place on Thursday, 30 July, with Jabulile serving as host while using Enjabulweni’s sports grounds. The track programme followed on Saturday, featuring athletes from the Under-8 through Under-13 age groups competing in a full schedule of sprint, middle-distance and relay events. Throughout the competition, young athletes demonstrated determination, resilience and sportsmanship, with schools encouraging one another despite the fierce contest for team honours. The event also reflected the continued growth of ISASA schools in Eswatini, resulting in larger and more competitive interschool sporting competitions.

Thembelisha secured the overall title with 375 points, narrowly ahead of Usutu Forest School on 371. Sifundzani completed the top three with 236 points, while Premier finished fourth on 229 and Montessori placed fifth with 198 points. Enjabulweni finished sixth with 183 points, followed by Jabulile (144), Project Canaan (143), Ubombo Primary School (137), Living Waters (86), Hlanganani (75) and Imbuyiselo (36).

Individual honours recognised outstanding performances across the junior and senior divisions. The Junior Victor award ended in a tie between Lamahle Dlamini of Premier and Alakhe Simelane of Thembelisha after both athletes delivered exceptional performances. Monalisa Sikhosana of Ubombo Primary School was named Junior Victrix, while Kenzo Kwashirayi and Kumakwethu Dlamini, both representing Usutu Forest School, claimed the Senior Victor and Senior Victrix titles respectively.

Organisers attributed the success of the championships to extensive collaboration between participating schools, teachers, officials and volunteers. Preparations involved several days of planning and venue setup, with support from the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation (RES), while medical services were provided by the Simunye Clinic team and refreshments by Mhlume Country Club.

Final Team Standings