BAA confirms Letham�s premature exit

Calistus Kolantsho | Friday October 14, 2016 16:01

Letham left Botswana for South Africa in August after his residence permit application failed. Speaking from South Africa, Letham told Mmegi Sport that he could not stay in the country without a residence permit.

“I have tried numerous times to get the association to assist me but it was clear that they were not interested in my services.

I was appointed to head the athlete development programme during the period when I was busy processing my residence permit,” Letham said. BAA spokesperson, Roland Masalila confirmed the absence of Letham at the athletics camp based at Block Six location in Gaborone. He said it was shocking to find that the athletes have been abandoned without the knowledge of the association.

Masalila said they are yet to meet as BAA executive committee to discuss the matter. The Diacore Gaborone Marathon Athlete Programme was launched yesterday in Gaborone.

Masalila said despite Letham’s absence, the programme will go ahead as planned. 

Meanwhile, Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) chairperson, Solly Reikeletseng has urged the BAA to be firm when making decisions.

Reikeletseng told Mmegi Sport that failure to support Letham could mean that the association did not need his services.

He said there was no need for them to be scared of telling him that his services were not required. He said Letham came to Botswana as a Mathematics teacher, but along the way he produced many athletes.

“His permit expired and he went back home to Scotland and kept coming back here because he fell in love with Botswana. At one point, I even thought of giving him the BNSC chairman’s award because I appreciated what he was doing for athletics,” he said.

Reikeletseng stated that BNSC supports skilled expatriates with work and residence permits if their skills are needed.

He gave an example of the Zebras coach, Peter Butler. He said the same arrangement cannot be extended to an expatriate who is in the country on personal business.

Letham was an athletics coach during his days as a teacher under the Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA).

He was widely regarded as one of the most successful coaches in the country. Letham has been coaching in Botswana for more than 20 years producing fine athletes such as Glody Dube and Justice Dipeba.