Team Namibia showcases talent at World Youth Breaking Championships in China

Participants from 38 countries took part in competition
The World Youth Breaking Championships marked an important milestone in the evolution of breaking as an internationally recognised sport.
Zoe Karsten
  • 2 Months Ago
Four talented Namibian athletes represented the country at the 2024 World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) World Youth Breaking Championships in Wuxi City, China, in September.

The event took place on 28 and 29 September in the Liangxi District, where Pelagia Zimny (17), Anne-leen Thorburn (18), Julian Schiebler (16), and Christiaan Stassen (15) donned Namibia’s colours on the global stage.

Under the guidance of head coach Yannis Beukes and supported by Dance Sport Namibia's secretary general, Alta Hill, the team eagerly showcased their skills and competed against some of the world’s best youth breakers. Beukes has been a break dancing coach for the past six years and wants to build the sport in Namibia.

Beukes stated that this was the first breaking event Namibia took part in: "It was an eye opener to see on what level the youth B-boys and B-girls of the world were at." Beukes further mentioned that the breaking community was open and inviting.

The 2024 WDSF World Youth Breaking Championships is a major event in the international breaking community, attracting more than 200 B-Boys and B-Girls from 38 different countries.

Competing countries included Brazil, Germany, Australia, India, China and many more.

The 2024 WDSF World Youth Breaking Championship is an open event. WDSF member bodies can nominate any number of athletes to participate in the championship.

What began as an urban dance style in the Bronx during the 1970s has now grown into a global cultural art form, with its inclusion in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The World Youth Breaking Championships spanned two days at Taihu Square in Wuxi and marked an important milestone in the evolution of breaking as an internationally recognised sport.

The Namibian team competed for a share of the prize pool, which includes 2 500 euros for the top-placed athletes.

Ranking

Beyond the prize money, the event held significant importance, as it provided ranking points for the WDSF ranking system – a critical element in qualifying for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.

There will, however, be no breaking event at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, leaving the sport’s future uncertain.

Participants, aged between 14 and 18, were accommodated at the Crowne Plaza Wuxi City Centre for three nights. The open nature of the competition has allowed member bodies of the WDSF to nominate athletes from across the world, further enriching the diversity of this year’s championship.

Namibia’s breakers were among the many athletes striving to leave their mark, both in competition and for the future of breaking as an Olympic sport.