Athletes shift focus to All Africa Games
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday September 1, 2015 14:51
The AAG take place in Brazzaville, Congo from Wednesday until September 10.
BAA spokesperson, Roland Masalila told Mmegi Sport yesterday that all is not lost as they are now preparing for the AAG and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
He said the association expected the men’s 4x400m team to reach the finals at the WC, but unfortunately that did not happen.
He said the team was faced with tough competition, but it managed to set the new national record of 2:59:95.
“The competition was tough for our athletes. It was a disappointing result for Nigel Amos, but he still has a chance to redeem himself at the Olympic Games next year.
“It was clear that other athletes had prepared for him,” Masalila said.
Regarding Isaac Makwala’s performance, Masalila said the athlete faced tough competition despite his average time being around 44:00.
He said the medal winners clocked less time, which was a sign that they were strong competitors.
He said Botswana had some of the best coaches at the competition and there was need for a sports psychologist to be engaged.
He said the specialist would be able to work on the mindsets before the competitions. He advised the athletes that they should always focus on the race instead of concentrating on social media.
“It is disappointing that some of the athletes had time to update their status on social media, an hour before the race,” he said.
BAA has sent a team of 16 athletes to the African games and these includes women’s 4x400m relay team.
Masalila said though Makwala and Amos are expected to compete in the IAAF Diamond League in London this month, there were also plans to see how they can also participate in the AAG.
He pointed out that the Diamond League is important to the athletes due to its financial gains.