BAA unaware of Thebe�s Italy trip
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday September 12, 2017 15:08
Thebe announced, through his Facebook page that he was on his way to Italy for treatment, after he aggravated a hamstring injury during the World Championships in London last month. BAA spokesperson, Ipolokeng Ramatshaba told Mmegi Sport yesterday that Thebe is a professional athlete and the association does not control his movements. He said the athlete has a manager who controls and monitors him.
“We are not aware of his trip. I believe that all the logistics for the trip were organised by his manager. His manager realised the need for Thebe to get medical attention because he should get back to the track. You must be aware that managers make money through athletes. If he does not compete, it affects his business,” he said.
Ramatshaba said Thebe should compete in order to make an income.
He said upon return from the World championships, the BAA wrote a letter to Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) requesting that Thebe be attended to by the BNSC doctor. He said the procedure is for the BNSC doctor to transfer an athlete to a specialist if need arises. He said the BNSC offer is open to all athletes all the time and it is up to them to decide when they want to be attended, then arrangements can be made for them.
“We are hopeful that the injury would be dealt with before the beginning of the new season. Our intention is to start the season in November. We want to start early as part of preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. We are always accused of late preparations. Late preparations affect the team’s performance,” he said.
Thebe, in weekend media reports, criticised the association for neglecting him, resulting in his manager shouldering the costs of the Italy trip.