BNOC condemns ambush marketing
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday October 20, 2026 10:24
Sitale said companies should desist from using athletes’ images after they win medals under the disguise of congratulating them. “Those companies should come on board now as we prepare the team, support these athletes and make pledges,” he said at the unveiling of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) team yesterday, “We cannot allow ambush marketing; we want support.” A team of six athletes, comprising two men and four women, will represent Botswana at the Games, competing in athletics, boxing, judo and swimming.
The Games will run from October 31 to November 13 across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly in Senegal, marking the first Olympic event to be held on African soil. Sitale said the BNOC is concerned that male athletes tended to outnumber their female counterparts. He added it is critical to support female athletes as they transition from youth to senior competition, as many tend to drop out along the way. “I hope we can retain this team and work on this base for the 2032 Olympics. We should guide these six athletes to be the core.
We are not only bridging equity but also ensuring that we are at par,” he said. Chef de Mission, Lechedzani Master Luza said the team continued to prepare under the guidance of coaches, with a focus on improving performance and gaining valuable competition experience. “The team went into camp yesterday, and it brings together athletes and medical personnel to consolidate preparations, strengthen team coordination and ensure that all logistical and operational arrangements are in place ahead of the team's departure on October 27,” he revealed. Luza said the key priority in the final phase is to ensure that the athletes were physically, medically and mentally ready for the competition.
He added that all the athletes were currently in good shape. The BNOC regards the Youth Olympic Games as a developmental competition and has therefore not set a medal target, with the focus instead on providing athletes with valuable exposure. Botswana has competed at every edition of the Youth Olympic Games since the inaugural event in Singapore in 2010, followed by Nanjing in 2014 and Buenos Aires in 2018. The country's best performance came in 2014, when the team won two silver medals through Karabo Sibanda in the 400m and Baboloki Thebe in the 200m. Botswana is still searching for its first gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games, with athletics the only sport to have delivered medals.
The team
Athletics: Mpho Maano (800m), Geza Reinious (400m) and Isaac Makwala (coach) Boxing: Precious Masaba (boxer) and Kemoitsholetse David (coach) Judo: Theresa Tagarira (judoka) and Thato Lebang (coach) Swimming: Melodi Saleshando and Tema Modirelabangwe (swimmers), and Solomon Mpusetsang (coach).