Botswana waits over Commonwealth security concerns

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Thursday September 23, 2010 00:00

BNOC chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho said that they hope things will improve or will not come to a point where they are forced to withdraw from the games. 'Our current position is that we are still going to compete at the Commonwealth Games.

We are of course concerned about the reports we read and see and we are closely monitoring the situation,' he told Mmegi Sport yesterday. He said they are in constant contact with the Commonwealth Federation about the situation. He said the federation will give them a second update on the situation tomorrow.  'We have also asked Botswana's High Commissioner to India to study the situation on the ground and give us updates,' he said.

Serufho leaves for Indian tomorrow and not Saturday as earlier arranged. He said he will travel tomorrow so that he can have time to inspect the facilities and possibly make recommendations before all the Botswana teams for the games depart for India. He is hopeful that everything will be sorted out before the games start.  There have been uncertainty about the safety of athletes and officials as the games and this has forced some athletes to withdraw. A day after a suspension pedestrian over-bridge crashed, a false ceiling collapsed at the weightlifting arena of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue of the Commonwealth Games.  The Times of India reported on Tuesday that a gleaming new steel-and-concrete suspension pedestrian over-bridge came crashing down and left at least 27 workers injured. This heightened concerns about the safety of structures being readied in a mad rush for the October 3 opening.  By yesterday, three top British athletes, world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu, Christine Ohuruogu and Lisa Dobriskey withdrew from the games. With more and more high profile athletes expected to join the list, it now remains to be seen whether the games will be competitive enough.

Meanwhile BNOC will hold a send-off ceremony for the teams going to the Commonwealth Games tomorrow at Gaborone Sun.