Athletes' representative, Leaname Maotoanong told MmegiSport that the concern was that in the past few races, there was no electronic timing. He said results from two races that were held in Francistown and another held at the National Stadium in Gaborone were not submitted to the World Athletics due to the absence of the device. Maotoanong said athletes use their own expenses to train and travel to various competitions in an attempt to qualify for various competitions, such as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, only to find that there is no electronic timing.
According to a letter signed by 28 athletes and delivered to the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA), the aggrieved stated that they appreciate the recent timing course for officials but there are still some issues that require immediate attention. “While the timing course aimed to enhance the skills of local officials, it is evident that further measures are necessary. We propose that officials undergo continued supervision to ensure the accuracy and fairness of timing procedures. This step is essential to guarantee that all athletes receive the fair representation they deserve,” the letter reads. The letter further said the repercussions of inadequate timing and officiating extend beyond mere competition. Without accurate timing, athletes risk their results not being recognised for major competitions such as the World Junior Championships and Olympics.
Maotoanong said athletes suggested to the BAA leadership to engage Tshepho Kelaotswe, who is familiar with electronic timing. “The challenge is that our leadership does not treat races the same, but for athletes, each race is an opportunity to qualify. That is why athletes will prefer to go and compete in South Africa, leaving races in Botswana. That is painful because you cannot see South Africans in local races unless they are invited to big competitions. They will just come here, make money and go back, while Batswana run in South Africa for free. They go there for electronic timing,” he said.
Maotoanong said he was impressed to see the presence of electronic timing experts during the national championships over the weekend. He said that was all they were asking for. Contacted for comment, Kelaotswe said it was great to be back on duty, and athletes and coaches were excited to see him. “I am a professional electronic timer, trained and mentored by the founders of Time Tronics in Belgium and Race Results in Germany. I have experience in track and field, and road race timing since 2010. I have also volunteered in local competitions. I have timed international events such as the World Athletics Gold Tours, BAA National Championship, and Confederation of African Athletics events,” he said. Meanwhile, the BAA vice president-administration, Oabona Theetso, said timing has been going according to plan, but the challenge was delay in releasing the results. He, however, said that did not affect the authenticity of the results.
