Botswana bags 13 medals at athens games

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent | Monday July 11, 2011 00:00

 

The team that competed only in swimming and athletics won four gold, four silver and five bronze medals.

Swimming got three gold medals and a silver while the rest of the medals are from athletics. Shepard Pusoloso won two bronze medals in the 200m and 400m respectively. Other bronze medals are from Tshepo Kgathwane in 1, 500m and 800m while Thapelo Kelebonye scooped gold in 100m and bronze in 100m. In the girls' category, Bright Field won silver in 100m with Kegomoditswe Sebase winning silver in 800m.In swimming, Oreeditse Madiehe won a gold and a bronze in breaststroke and freestyle respectively. Susan Keboiretswe and Susan Ntwampe each won gold.

Although the team that comprised 12 athletes performed fairly well Special Olympics (Botswana) patron and former First Lady Olebile Masire was not impressed with the local support. Speaking at an event to welcome the team home in Gaborone on Thursday, Lady Masire gave an example of countries like South Africa that had their Minister of Sports and other senior government officials accompanying the team to Athens. Masire said Team Botswana did not have a parent who could stay with and motivate them especially during the official opening.

Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) executive secretary Kitso Kemoeng only joined the team during the course of the games. 'For these athletes to continue to do well they need our support,' she said. However, Lady Masire thanked Special Olympics Botswana for taking good care of the athletes while in Athens. She also gave the athletes a pat on the back for representing the country well on and off the field. She said the athletes did not give them any problems and thanked parents for releasing them.  

Swimming coach Reginald Masiga said in an interview that the level of competition was high but attributed their success to hard work. He said some countries had brought older athletes but his team still managed to beat them. It was impressive that the athletes were new to swimming having only been introduced to it eight months ago.

He said it took a lot of hard work for him to assemble such a strong team. However, Masiga said something that they learned at the competitions was that unlike them some countries started training years ago.

'I think that is what we should also consider next time if we want to perform even better,' he said.