Oteng's loss should not dampen Olympic spirit

Editor | Friday August 3, 2012 00:00

The loss, heart-breaking as it is, should not dampen spirits among Botswana's four other compatriots who will be in action later this week. The nation should continue rallying behind the team as all hope is not lost for the athletes to secure that elusive medal.

Amantle Montsho arrived in London as the best athlete in her distance while Nigel Amos has done relatively well in the build-up to the tournament. He is rated the second best in the men's 800m and Isaac Makwala recently smashed the national 400m record, achievements which should lift gloom on yesterday's painful defeat.

Oteng did his best and no one can be faulted for his fall at the first hurdle. It was a brave fight which judges could have scored either way. The athletes have admitted that preparations were adequate and the nation rightly expects at least two medals, even though one competitor is out of the running. It is sad that in Olympics, the only way for black boxers from Africa to advance is to knock their opponents' out cold, otherwise depending on judges to award victory through points is a sure way to defeat. Either, Africa boxing coaches seem not to have drilled their pugilists to score winning points or the counting system is just biased. Take your pick. Since a new point-scoring system in boxing was introduced in the Olympics in 1990s, sub-Sahara African boxers have fared badly. Initially, it was claimed that they did not understand the system but over a decade has passed since the system was introduced and this means that we need to do a reflection on the sorry state of affairs. 

Meanwhile, the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) should start thinking ahead for the 2016 Olympics. We saw how an initial target of sending 20 athletes yielded only five. This is a spectacular failure, no matter the explanation from the BNOC.  Five out of 20 is equal to 25 out of 100 percent, a clear flop by any standard. Besides the numbers, BNOC must talk about quality. We have participated in the Olympics for years and we should start winning medals. We should move away from participants to competitors because our heroes like Amantle Montsho and Glody Dube has shown that we can produce world class talent.

The challenge is continuity where the country would be able to consistently produce future Dubes and Montshos.  We wish the remaining athletes all the best of luck.

                                                              Today's thought                       'Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.'                                                                  - Confucius