Rakgare to meet Amos
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday March 26, 2022 06:00
According to information gathered by Mmegi Sport, the matter has reached the minister after the athlete challenged his rejection, which sources said, "it's more than meets the eye". The athlete had threatened to quit Botswana and run as an independent after the disappointment of the rejection. Amos told Mmegi Sport this week that the decision to leave him out of the scholarship opportunity came as a shock. “The fund exists to assist athletes like myself in preparation for the Olympic Games.
I have attained all that is required to be on the list. So when I enquired about the rejection, BNOC (Botswana National Olympic Committee) informed me that they are giving space to young athletes. That does not make sense because that is not the purpose of the Solidarity Fund,” he said. Amos said the solidarity scholarship must not be treated as a development fund. “Where are development funds going if we use elite funds to develop upcoming athletes?” he queried. Amos said it was a shock to learn the truth behind the rejection. “I was shocked that something has been going on behind closed doors and I was not aware. They did not approach me and ask,” he said.
Speculation is rife that despite the reasons that BNOC brought up, Amos was rejected because of betting allegations. When confronted about the information, Amos said he was not comfortable discussing the allegations. “I cannot talk about that. Those are just allegations that I have not come across. My focus right now is to become a world champion,” he said. In response to Amos' application, the BNOC, through a letter that this publication is in possession of, acknowledged the athlete's talent, profile as well as achievements, especially at major competitions. “It is for this reason that we have extended our support to yourself through this particular scholarship for the past two quadrennials (eight years),” the letter reads.
The BNOC explained that for the Paris 2024 cycle, the organisation was entitled to a minimum of five scholarships capped at $7,500 (approximately P80,0000 per month combined through Olympic Solidarity.
The BNOC said they had an opportunity to redistribute the funding and award a maximum of 10 scholarships within a maximum amount. The committee said it followed a certain procedure to select beneficiaries who were then submitted to Olympic Solidarity (OS) for approval. “National Federations (NF) submitted a list of all potential candidates as per the guidelines.
The BNOC through its (High Performance and Team Preparations Committee) short-listed 15 athletes and submitted these names with priority being given to younger athletes with the ability to qualify for both the Paris 2024 Games and Los Angeles 2028. Athletes who have previously not benefited from the fund were prioritised,” the letter reads in part. The letter further stated that the BNOC and the Olympic Solidarity assessed the submissions together with the concerned international federations to determine suitable candidates and communicated with the BNOC to endorse the same. “Based on the above procedure and in light of you having been a beneficiary over the past two quadrennials, we regret to inform you, that you were not selected as a recipient,” the letter reads.
For the past decade, Amos has been ranked in the world's top 10, mostly occupying positions one or two. He has won African championships three times, Commonwealth Games, Continental championships and All Africa Games. The only missing medal in his cabinet is for the World Athletics Championships. Meanwhile, Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) said it will comment on the matter once the sports body meets the athlete. “For now we cannot say anything until Amos has met with Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC). We would then meet him together with the BNOC,” BAA vice president-administration, Oabona Theetso said. Amos could not be drawn to comment on his threats to dump Botswana. “I would not comment on that one. When it is time to engage, I would. But it is a process in play,” Amos said.
Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) chief executive officer (CEO), Tuelo Serufho said no Motswana by birth has ever left to either represent another country or compete as an independent athlete. “We have of course in the past have none Batswana by birth representing this country in some sports and competitions, some of whom would later return to their country of birth,” he said.