BAA back on track

Portia Mlilo
Onkabetse Nkobolo

Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) will soon get back to action as the government continues to relax lockdown regulations.

BAA Vice President-Administration, Oabona Theetso says they are currently working on guidelines before training can resume.

He said they also need to empower their clubs to make sure they comply with the requirements set out by the Covid-19 Task Force which is not going to come cheap.

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Theetso told Voice Sport that they still have to meet with Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) board on how to recall national team athletes back into camp.

“Our short sprints athlete desperately need stadiums to train, unlike our long-distance runners who have been doing roadworks,” he said, adding that BAA is currently analyzing their proposed budget for the camp.

He further said their junior teams have also been affected because they had athletes who had qualified for the athletics World Junior Championships which were to be held in July and now have been postponed to 2021.

“You can imagine some of them will be over age next year. We have young athlete Bernard Olesitse who is currently ranked third in the 400m in the world and this will affect him,” said Theetso.

Theetso said they were on the road to re-asset themselves as the country’s number one code but now fears all those gains will be reversed by Covid-19.

He however revealed that BNOC has availed sports psychologist to help athletes deal with the set back.

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“Postponement of competitions this year has psychologically affected their income. Our athletes are volunteers and they survive on competitions prize money and camping fees. So they’ve made a loss and need professional counseling,” he added.

When asked about possible disciplinary action against the two athletes who were involved in a car accident after sneaking out of camp in March, Theetso said Onkabetse Nkobolo is recovering but still admitted at Marina Hospital.

He said he had a successful surgery and he is currently undergoing physiotherapy.

Theetso said they had assigned an independent body to investigate the accident and the report is ready so they are yet to discuss it with BNOC.

BAA back on track
Baboloki Thebe

“Action will be taken against Nkobolo and Baboloki Thebe based on the findings and recommendations of the task force,” he said.

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