22 Feb 2018

Botswana’s 400 metres runner, Isaac Makwala will open his season at the Athletix Grand Prix Series on March 1 at Ruimsig Stadium, Johannesburg.

The Athletix Grand Prix, organised by Athletics South Africa (ASA), has attracted international athletes amongst them America’s 2014, 200m World junior champion, Trentavis Friday, world 200m bronze medalist, Anaso Jobodwana and World junior 300m record holder, Clarence Munyai.

Makwala, who made headlines last season after IAAF barred him from competing in the 200 metres heat and missed the 400 metres finals, will be the athlete to watch during the Athletix Grand Prix Series.

Although he has not recorded good times during the start of the season, he has proved to be unpredictable as his performance is normally determined by the circumstances on the ground.

 In an interview, Makwala said he has been preparing well for the meet, adding that the organisers had requested him to compete in the 200 and 400 metres, and that he was given assurance that  there would be enough time after one event for athletes to recover.

The 400 metres Diamond League champion said he was not under pressure to clock impressive times given that it would be his first race of the season.

“Look I am going there to compete if I clock a good time it would be a bonus, but if you have been following my performance you would know that I do well around June and May, so for me this competition is not all about chasing time, but I will give my best shot,” he said.

Other Botswana athletes who will participate at the Athletix Grand Prix are Amantle Montsho, Goitseone Seleka, Loungo Matlhaku, Karabo Sibanda, Christine Botlogetswe and Karabo Mothibi.

National team coach, Justice Dipeba said Montsho, Seleka and Botlogetswe  would run 400m, while Matlhaku would compete in the 100 metres.

“Mothibi will do 100 metres, Makwala will double 200 and 400 metres while others will do the 400 mtres,” he said.

 The event will be used as part of their preparations to gauge athlete’s readiness for the Commonwealth Games.

Their expectation, he said, was to see athletes recording better times as they were getting closer  to the Commonwealth Games.

The athletes, he said, have been in camp, and was happy that they had been responding well.

“As I have always said about this season, we have to be very smart with our training sessions, we are combining the two phases which is specific and competitions,” he said.

However, athletics analyst Billy Tambula said with only a month left before the Commonwealth Games it was important to have preparatory meetings.

 The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) super night series, he said, were important events to start with given that some athletes were able to improve their times.

“But we have one or two athletes who really dominate and needed to now compete in international meetings like the Grand Prix. I believe it’s the right time for our athletes to start competing with other top athletes from different countries.

Tambula said the Athletix Grand Prix Series was going to be important for the team given that BAA does not have any major meets during this time of the year, hence it was important to utilise the meet.

“We need to keep increasing the the intensity of competitions until the team leaves for GC2018,” he said. Ends