13 Sep 2017

Minister  of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development Thapelo Olopeng,says  action will be taken against those  responsible should investigation prove that the 400 metres runner Baboloki Thebe  was denied medical attention.

Thebe who sustained an injury during the IAAF World Championships 2017 last month in the 4x400 metres relay has not received medical assistance except the attention he received in London immediately after the injury.

His Italian manager Federico Rosa, had to fly him to Italy on Sunday for medical attention at his own expense, although it was the country’s responsibility to ensure that the athlete injury is attended.

However, Minister Olopeng said in an interview that he learnt  that Thebe was not taken to the doctors after the injury he sustained in London, adding that he could not understand, hence he instructed the relevant officers to give him a detailed report, as to why the athlete was not attended to.

He said he expects the report next week, adding the report will also guide him to map way forward.

“We don’t want to be leaders who only rush to the airport only when our athletes have done well, following motorcades procession, we know for this athletes to do well there must be good preparations, and good care, and I am not happy at all with what happened to this athlete” he said.

Furthermore, he said he had long made it clear that he want the athletes to be treated like kings and queens, therefore if an athlete was injured, he /she should be given medical assistance.

“Trust me, I still fail to understand as to why the athlete was not taken to the hospital and up to today no one came to me to tell me they had a problem with money to take the athlete to the hospital. If you ask me we could have treated Thebe here in Botswana. We have doctors who are very good with injuries. One of them is Dr Lesedinyana Odiseng who is highly qualified,” he said.Ends