Thebe recovers to make Commonwealth Games team
| Friday March 16, 2018 11:53
Thebe has been in the sidelines due to a muscle injury he picked during the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) Super Night Meet series in Lobatse last month. Thebe did not compete at the Athletix Grand Prix, which was held in Pretoria last week, as he was nursing the injury. Athletics team manager, Olebogeng Oitebetse told a press briefing this week that Thebe went for a check up at Bokamoso Private Hospital where he was cleared to run.
“The scan has indicated that the athlete is fit to compete. On Monday, he started intensive training and we believe the remaining few weeks are enough for him to be back in shape,” she said.
Thebe will compete in the men’s 400m and 4x400m relay.
Meanwhile, the boxing team’s trip to Poland as part of Commonwealth Games preparations did not materialise. The team was supposed to leave on Saturday, but Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho said due to logistical challenges, the trip had been aborted.
“We will get a refund for the tickets but not 100%, but in excess of 75% of what we have paid. We will recover the allowances but there is a penalty for not boarding the flight,” he said.
He said the ticket were to take the boxers to Poland then to Gold Coast. He said now they have changed them for Gold Coast.
Serufho told journalists they received P5 million from government to prepare the team for the Games.
“We received the money towards end of the year (2017) but we need four to eight years to prepare a team. That would also enable us to broaden the pool to select the team,” Serufho said.
He said some athletes picked injuries in the past months but they went under rigorous tests at the UB hospital and Bokamoso. Serufho said all the athletes have been cleared to compete. Team Botswana would be dressed by Lotto (an Italian brand) instead of Nike.
A contract between BAA and Nike only cover International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships.