Find Montsho a new role now!
Dennis Keagile | Friday August 15, 2014 11:34
It is a sport where intrinsic motivation is supreme. It is also a sport where the temptation to indulge in high performance inducing drugs is high.
As a result the authorities are always on high alert because of the widespread cheating in the game. Lance Armstrong’s haul of many medals in cycling spanning a period of seven years is a case in point. It always aroused suspicion that there was something wrong because it is not easy to maintain peak form for such a long period of time.
There are always side issues like social issues, injuries and physical anatomies that make it difficult to stay in one supreme condition.
I was distraught and embarrassed when one of my favourite athletes, the United States of America female sprinter, Marion Jones was discovered to have been using performance-enhancing drugs.
The urge to be a champion, and all the prizes, perks and other spin-offs that goes with success is just enormous. It is an urge very difficult to resist.
The pressure and expectations from the nation, friends and families just become too much.
However like a road accident that claims lives of people at a far away place or country, we sometimes never really feel the impact of such.
And when it was reported that our own sporting and heroine ambassador in the 400metres race, Amantle Montsho had failed a doping test, I became restless. My mind started going back to 2012 during the Olympic Games when she missed bronze by a whisker. All sorts of reasons, in the corridors of power, shebeens, on the streets, in the villages like her home, Mabudutsa, were advanced on her tactical naiveté for the race.
We all believed she could have done better by employing the right technique and strategy.
Since then Amantle has been an athlete under tremendous pressure.
I strongly suspect that may be she was a bit in denial that her body clock may not take her further. This is one sport where constant counseling and assurance is needed. And now that the B test has failed again we are bound to ask all questions:
l Why did she not declare the medication if
indeed she was on medication,
l Why did she take the medication she
knew has some banned substance in it, and
lWhy did her physician let her take that
medication or did she act on her own.
I am certain that we still all love her and hope that she will be open and sincere about the whole issue so that we can get an immediate closure.
If she can be sincere and honest, I guess there won’t be many questions and pent-up frustrations from her diehard fans. What is important however is not to lose sight of the lessons learnt.
Over the years she has gained valuable experience, which the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) and the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) can make great use off.
For a small country like Botswana this is a serious draw back and I do not think that she will be in a strong position to compete effectively after this. The BNOC and BAA are better advised to find a role for her now unless the ban says she should completely stay away from the sport.
In fact when she started posting some political statement on her face book page, that lack of tact and foresight worried me. Her comments drew some strong reaction from the Botswana Congress Party.
She was within her right and freedom of speech and association though. She nevertheless seemed to have forgotten the ambassadorial tag she was wearing. It is said a fall into the ditch is a gain in ones wit. This could be a blessing for the BAA and BNOC going forward. And as we cry and commiserate with Montsho, I want to send a strong warning to some of our footballers and club administrators that they better counsel their players.
One of the most commonly used habit forming substance in football is marijuana.
Not that it gives players extra energy, but for some it looks like it calms down their nerves.
It is therefore important that education should be spread across and random test done to determine if some of these substances are used.
It’s always embarrassing and expensive to lose players at the last minute. Every challenge has a good opportunity to it and let’s take the Amantle Montsho failed drug test as a blessing in disguise for it will make the sporting administrators more wiser.
Extension Gunners
Last season I was very much hurt when people could not give Thabo Motang due recognition and respect when he stirred the Extension Gunners ship to safety after the sudden departure of the then coach, Mike ‘Dubuladubula’ Sithole.
All praises was heaped on former Mochudi Centre Chiefs coach Drago Stalnojovic even when he had less than three days with the team. Overnight he was hailed as a good coach.
Exit Motang and in came Itumeleng Duiker and Kopano Phakedi. I understand they have been booted out as well. I would advise the Gunners management to be wiser less they do more damage to the team. Drago’s man management skills are questionable and he left Chiefs a divided side.
After the massive sponsor I was looking forward to Gunners of old, the one that can give the likes of BDF XI, Township Rollers, Gaborone United and Chiefs a run for their money.
Football benefits more when all of Gunners, GU, Rollers and Chiefs are in top form.
This also enhances the brand and image of the Premier League. The biggest blunder was letting Thabo go and I do not understand why he could not be given a chance to finish off this project.
I am certain that he had this burning desire to prove all wrong especially his rivals at Rollers and the national team.
This was acting as a big motivation for him.
Colour alone is not good enough and the sooner the Gunners management exchange notes the better. I am longing to see Gunners playing that enterprising football and going back to winning ways. Money alone cannot change the fortunes of a team. We need good coaches. Let Motang, Duiker and Phakedi coach the team. That is my plea to the Gunners management.