13 Mar 2018

Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) has announced a team of athletes to  represent the country at the coming Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast Australia from April 4 -15.

A total of 28 athletes from five sporting codes and 22 officials will leave on Saturday for Gold Coast for preparations and acclimatisation

BNOC has set a target of eight medals at the Commonwealth Games and the five codes that will compete are athletics, boxing, swimming, lawn bowls, and weight lifting.

From athletics, the country will be represented by Amantle Montsho, Christine Botlogetswe Galefele Moroko, Loungo Matlhaku and Goitseone Seleka.

The men team is made up of   Karabo Sibanda, Baboloki Thebe, Nijel Amos, Isaac Makwala, Karabo Mothibi, Onkabetse Nkobolo, Leaname Maotoanong and Pako Seribe.

From boxing, three women Aratwa Kasemang of 60kg Keamogetse Kenosi 57kg and Lethabo Modukanele 48kg while Rajab Otukile Mahommed of 52kg is the only man in the team.

The lawn bowls team is made up of Marea Modutlwa, Nelly Senna, Kitso Robert, Kabo Gaboutloeloe, Edwin Nyoka, John Gaborutwe and Dickson Senna

In swimming, Naomi Ruele will represent the country in 100m backstroke and 50m backstroke while Kgotla Kgaswane will represent in 56 kg weightlifting.

Speaking at the team announcement, BNOC chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho said they were confident that they were sending a strong team which had the potential to do well at the Commonwealth Games.

He said they had few athletes who had sustained injuries, over a couple of months and weeks, adding that they had however taken them through rigorous medical testing.

Serufho said currently athletes who would be competing at the Commonwealth Games had been cleared by doctors.

“But of course there are two athletes who have minor injuries, but the doctors said the minor injuries will not affect their ability to perform. So we are quite confident that Karabo, Baboloki and Galefele who had sustained injuries will be fine,” he said.

Serufho further said for the time in the competitions, botswana would have a represantative in weight lifting.He said weight lifting did well during the African Youth Games in 2014 and last year they competed at the African Championships where they won a medal, adding that alone was a clear indication that there was some growth of the sport in the country.  ENDS