Team Botswana hunts for gold
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday December 11, 2021 06:00
Taekwondo has scooped two gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals. Swimming has bagged silver and a bronze. Football has silver while boxing has settled for three bronze medals. Tennis has won silver. During the Region 5 Youth Games Gaborone 2018, Botswana finished in position three after South Africa and Angola.
The ninth edition of the Region 5 Youth Games is held under the current COVID-19 scare, which has led to South Africa withdrawing from the competition on Tuesday. “A decision has been taken to withdraw Team SA from the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games in Maseru with immediate effect.
This comes after an increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases at the Games,” a statement from South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) reads. The statement further said Team SA has also had athletes who have tested positive for the virus.
SASCOCO said after thorough assessment of the situation, including consultation where required, the team management has decided to return the squad to South Africa. Region 5 Youth Games chief executive officer (CEO), Stanley Mutoya told Mmegi Sport that they had received information that South Africa was withdrawing. He explained that South Africa was not withdrawing the entire team but rather athletes who had completed their competition to return home. He said they have been testing athletes since the competition started. “We have tested a total of 6,142 since November 24 [2021].
We knew that we are going to have games in a COVID-19 environment and therefore our protocols have been that every 72 hours people are being tested so that we screen our people and ensure that any cases that are recorded are isolated. We are happy that cases that have been reported are not symptomatic and nothing that we cannot manage,” he said.
Mutoya said member countries must not value money over the lives of athletes. He said it sounded like they were asking too much when they asked countries for teams to be in camp for 14 days before travelling to the games. “It is important to do that. You then do not transport athletes who might have the virus in its incubation and it manifests when they get to the games. Sometimes our countries would say it is expensive and camp for three days before they travel.
Whenever we talk about the bubble concept, it must be adhered to,” he said.
Mutoya said it is clear that athletes do not fully comply. He said it was a struggle to supervise athletes all the time to make sure they wear their masks. Mutoya said some competitions such as taekwondo, gymnastics, netball, football as well as swimming have finished. “We are happy that the athletes have been able to showcase their talent. COVID-19 has disrupted the culture of the games such as attending the opening ceremony.
Here in Lesotho we do not feel people vibrating. They are not feeling the throb of the games. It is like the games are happening somewhere and it is remote to them. It is different from when the games were held in Botswana, Angola and Zimbabwe,” he said.