BAA delays action on Montsho doping case

Calistus Kolantsho | Wednesday December 17, 2014 18:17

 

BAA spokesperson, Glody Dube told Mmegi Sport yesterday that the decision should have been released by now but the process has not been finalised.

He said it takes time for a verdict to be reached because it involves a lot of processes and specialists.

He stated that he was not at liberty to divulge more information on the matter because it is not yet finalised. He said that doping cases have been a problem worldwide and it is fortunate that local athletes have always been clean.

“The challenge that we face is that we do not have enough sports doctors in Botswana. We are working hard to encourage athletes to stay away from supplements.

It is not all about being caught but there is a possibility of side-effects in the long run.

I have seen former athletes who became sick because they depended on stimulants during their careers,” he said.

The BAA is handling the case after Montsho accepted the positive doping results from the world anti-doping body.

The former 400m world champion tested positive for the banned methylhexaneamine after the finals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July.

The athlete faces between six months and two years suspension. She has been provisionally suspended and her race results at the Commonwealth Games, in which she finished fourth, nullified.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) initially handled the matter and after Montsho accepted the findings.

The case was then forwarded to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which referred it to the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) for appropriate sanction.

Montsho has had a sparkling career which has seen her win gold at the 2010 400m Commonwealth Games before she was crowned the world’s best in 2011.

Despite the good performance, a medal at the Olympic Games has proved elusive. The outcome of her doping case will be crucial to her 2016 Rio Olympic Games dream.