It�s illegal for children to run in marathons- coach

Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday September 27, 2016 15:52

 

Not so earlry: Children's athletics activities must be managed, says Otsetswe

Speaking after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Kids’ Athletics course for instructors held in Mogoditshane last week, Otsetswe said children can only run a maximum of two kilometres.

Otsetswe, an IAAF lecturer, told Mmegi Sport yesterday that the aim is to introduce children to athletics at a tender age, ranging from seven years. He said children should be introduced to running, jumping and throwing in a smooth way.

“We have to do that in a way that makes them comfortable. We have a problem at the moment where children are trained the same way as elite athletes. Of recent, we have seen children being allowed to run marathons.  That is illegal and dangerous,” said Otsetswe.

He said the longest distance that a girl child aged seven to 12 can run on a soft surface is one kilometre while a boy of seven to 12 is only allowed to run two kilometres. Otsetswe said IAAF is concerned that a skewed set up makes it impossible for children to reach their full potential when they grow up.

The Kids’ Athletics course was attended by 24 participants from Botswana Primary School Sports Association (BOPSSA) regions. Other participants were from athletics clubs across the country. Otsetswe said it was the first time the course was held in the country. He said the course was about athletics for children.

“Kids’ Athletics coaching is a new initiative by IAAF and it is being rolled out worldwide. This is the first batch of trained instructors. The response was positive and it was clear that this initiative was long overdue.  We now expect them to go back and implement what they have been taught,” he said.

Otsetswe said instructors would now go back and train coaches and each participant is expected to hit the ground running.

He said around 576 coaches are expected to have gone through the programme by the end of October. He said there is support from IAAF that includes funding and there is no way the programme would fail.