Botswana eyes record Olympics contingent
Mqondisi Dube | Wednesday January 6, 2016 12:42
This would be the highest number ever as the Botswana National Olympics Committee (BNOC) wants to give Botswana a perfect birthday present with an improved medal haul.
Four years ago in London, Botswana finally broke the jinx when Nijel Amos became the first local athlete to win a medal, finishing with a silver medal in an 800metre race described as the fastest in history. “We want to give the nation a perfect birthday present. We want to perform better than we did in London,” said BNOC chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho.
Botswana sent four athletes to the London Olympics.
“In London we could have sent more but in 2010 we took a decision to send only competitive athletes. In the past, regardless of how ill-prepared an athlete was, we used to send them for exposure. But now we focus on being competitive and also consider our meagre resources. Now we are talking 20 quality athletes that we want to send to Rio,” Serufho said
Botswana is expected to send a mixture of tried and tested veterans with youngsters such as Baboloki Thebe and Karabo Sibanda. The juniors have proved Botswana’s athletics future is bright with some commanding performances on the international scene.
Meanwhile, former World 400m champion, Amantle Montsho, is expected to miss August’s Rio Olympics with her ban only expiring in July. Montsho was found guilty of taking a banned substance soon after the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and was slapped with a two-year ban. She failed to appeal the sentence due to prohibitive costs, as P200,000 was required.
Serufho said unless Montsho’s ban is reduced, the athlete would certainly watch the Rio action from the sidelines. An Olympic medal is the only missing piece in Montsho’s glittering career, which touched the dizzy heights in 2011 when she conquered the world at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. The Rio Olympics presented the last opportunity for Montsho to participate in an Olympic race, largely regarded as the most prestigious, as the 34year-old athlete is into the twilight of her decorated career.