04 Dec 2016

Botswana Karate Association and Botswana Softball Association have been admitted as full members of the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC).

The two associations were elevated from BNOC affiliates to full members on Thursday (December 1) at the organisation's annual general assembly here in Gaborone.

The admission was in line with International Olympic Committee which announce last year that softball karate, baseball, surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing will now be played at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.

BNOC president, Negros Kgosietsile said he was confident the two association would do what was required so as to contribute to Botswana success in the next Olympic Games.

In other issue, Kgosietsile said 2016 had been a remarkable year for BNOC, given that they went to Rio although they did not receive the medals they had anticipated, but what was promising was that the 4x400 m men's relay team missed a podium finish by a whisker.

Talking about their strategic plan, he said their 2008-2016 plan has come to an end and they have engaged a consultant to develop a strategic for the next four years.

“You will be aware that the last strategy was for an eight year period, but this time around we are going for a four year strategy to align it with Olympic quadrennium,because we are funded by Olympic Solidarity for some of our programmes, “he said.

BNOC, chief executive officer Tuelo Serufo said in the anti-doping section, to date at least 33 samples have been collected through the Regional Anti-Doping Organization office, spanning at least four sporting codes.

He said of all the results received, none had returned an adverse finding, something which he said was a positive development.

However Serufho said a key challenge had been the escalation of cost arising out of the suspension of Bloemfontein laboratory which was suspended in May 2016, and when it opened in August they were given a certificate to analyse blood tests which Botswana had not yet started collecting.

“Following the suspension of the Bloemfontein laboratory, samples were sent to Doha Lab, which was more in terms  of shipping, and the Doha lab has since been suspended too and now samples will have to be sent for other continents at even greater cost,” he said. ENDS