25 May 2016

The year 2016 seems to be a good year for Botswana sport because for the first time in history the country is poised to send more athlete to the Olympics.

So far athletes that  have already qualified  in 400 metres men is Onkabetse Nkobolo, Baboloki Thebe, Karabo Sibanda, Isaac Makwala and 4x400 men’s relay team

400 metres women is Lydia Jele and Christene Botlogetswe,while in 800 metres there is Nijel Amos. In men’s 200 metres Thebe and Makwala have already qualified again in this event

In swimming the country might be represented by Naomi Ruele  should she get a a nod given than she qualified with a “B” standard and the nation would have to wait for July 3 to know if she had slot. In  Paralympics there is Keatlaretse Mabote.

 Botswana National Olympic Committee, chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho said they were excited about the results of the weekend national championships in athletics.

The weekend results, he said  meant that the country would be represented in a record number of events at an Olympic Games. They would have the most number of women to have ever qualified for a single Olympic Games, and the country would be represented  by the largest team of qualified athletes to an Olympic Games. 

Serufho said what was pleasing was the fact that  most of the athletes that had already qualified were relatively young, and would still have about three Olympics after Rio 2016. 

He said Naomi Ruele, Baboloki Thebe and Karabo Sibanda were all under 20 years of age while Botlogetswe and Amos were only 21 and 22 respectively.

Another pleasing development, he said was that unlike in the past when athletes would generally only manage to qualify for the Olympics on the second or third attempt, now they had a crop of youngsters who crack it on the first attempt.

“This must be an indication that we are doing something right. The team is surely getting stronger by the day and the intention is to put up a very stellar performance in Rio,” he said 

He said his organisation did not only aim to get more than the one medal from London, but also to improve the ranking from 69 out of 204 countries at the last Games.

“With qualification periods still open until early July and the level of motivation within the team, we are very optimistic that a few more athletes will qualify,” he said 

 Seerufho pleaded with the private sector to come on board, and that with more athletes qualifying, the cost of preparing them went up and they could do with additional support such that they  could perform well at the Games, just a few weeks before the country celebrated silver jubilee. ENDS