04 Mar 2024

Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) has expressed worry at the increasing number of doping cases amongst athletes, which has consequently placed the country under the red zone.

Addressing the annual general assembly on Saturday, BAA president Moses Bantsi said doping in athletics had taken a new twist and was now out of control given the number of cases reported so far. 

He noted that athletes were doping openly during competitions and at training, adding that this was supported by evidence the governing body had collected.

“You will find syringes and all kinds of items related to doping at the stadium ablutions block in the far north stand next to where we normally place our call room.

Some have been seen by their fellow athletes using performance enhancing tablets but they choose to keep quiet about such bad practices,” he said.

Bantsi said the trend was now worrisome to the future of athletics growth in the country and warned that the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADO) was aware of the situtation, which was a threat to all national teams including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games team.

“We are all working together including BAA, BNOC, BNSC, NADO and RADO to put in place mechanisms that can help in bringing the situation under control.

In all honesty, our sport is in danger and efforts are needed to save athletics and the next generation by protecting their future in athletics,” he said.

On the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, he said they learnt through the organiser, Golden Door Sports Agency that its contract with World Athletics had been withdrawn.

He said BAA had written to the president of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe and the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) president Hamad Kalkaba to rescind the cancellation of the said contract as it would impact negatively on the development of world-class competitions in the country and Africa.

“What I can tell you is that we are still awaiting a response from both bodies CAA and World Athletics,” he said.

BAA general manager, Pinkie Wilson said their calendar of events for this year had 63 activities.

She said out of that number, 11 would be hosted by the federation, while different clubs would organise 52 events.

She said the target was to improve the performance and preparation of athletes for upcoming events amongst them the Olympics and Africa Senior Championships.

She, however, said some events were not captured in their calendar such as the Botswana Life Half Marathon, Lobatse Town Council Half Marathon, the Sir Seretse Khama Day Half Marathon and the African Stars International Athletics Championship in collaboration with UB Athletics.

Wilson further said their Memorandum of Agreement with Debswana, which commenced on January, 01 2022, would continue until December 31, 2024.

She also updated the affiliates that despite enduring a challenging transition last year, the association had achieved most of its planned activities, including sending teams to internal events.

BAA, she said remains filled with eagerness to continue attainment of the bold three medal target at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and other World Athletics Championships. Ends