20 Mar 2018

Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) has justified the high number of officials travelling with the team to Gold Coast for Commonwealth Games.

Twenty-eight athletes from five sporting codes will represent the country in Athletics, Boxing, Swimming, Lawn bowls and Weight lifting. However, what has raised eye brows is the  number officials, 28 in total, accompanying the team.

BNOC chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho said in an interview that their desire to have a comprehensive medical team was what has bloated the officials’ component of the team.

“Given that in the last few major Games that we competed at we missed out on medals mainly out of issues around sport science and sport medicine, we decided in this instance to have as comprehensive a team as possible,” Serufho said.

He said from the 22 officials, eight were from the sport science/medicine field, adding the team had a medical doctor, psychologists, physiotherapists, an exercise scientist, a massage therapist and a chiropractor.

According to Serufho most of the practitioners had been working with athletes and thus not only do they know their strengths and weaknesses, they have also built the necessary rapport such that interventions can be effective.

He said the biggest group of officials were team coaches and managers, saying Athletics and Lawn Bowls each had two coaches and one manager.

Boxing, he said had two coaches while Swimming and Weightlifting had one coach each; taking the total number of sport specific coaches/managers to 10
Serufho said the remaining officials were leader of delegation, general team manager, team attaché and media attaché.

Meanwhile Team Botswana left on Saturday for the Commonwealth Games set to take place in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to 15.

As would be expected, regular members of the national team in the likes of Isaac Makwala, Nijel Amos, Amantle Montsho, Baboloki Thebe, Christine Botlogetse, Naomi Ruele and Karabo Sibanda are expected to raise Botswana’s flag high

A somewhat surprise inclusion was Kgotla Kgaswane of Weightlifting, given than Botswana has never been represented in that sport at either the Commonwealth or Olympic Games.

Lawn Bowls made a welcome return to the Team, after missing out on the 2014 Games in Glasgow.

Team Botswana

Athletics
Women: Amantle Montsho (400m and 4x400m) Christine Botlogetswe (400m and 4x400m) Galefele Moroko (400m and 4x400m), Goitseone Seleka (4x400m) Loungo Matlhaku (200m 4X400m).
Men: Isaac Makwala ( 400m, and 4x400m) Karabo Sibanda (400m and 4x400m) Baboloki Thebe (400m and 4x400m) Onkabetse Nkobolo (4x400m)   Leaname Maotoanong (4x400m) Pako Seribe (200m and 4x400m) Karabo Mothibi (100m and 200m) Nijel Amos(800m)
 
Boxing  
Women: Lethabo Modukanele (48kg) Aratwa Kasemang (60kg), Keamogetse Kenosi (57kg)
Men: Rajab Otukile Mahommed (52kg)

Lawn Bowls    
Women: Marea Modutlwa Nelly Senna (Singles and Pairs)   
Men: Kitso Robert Kabo Gaboutloeloe Edwin Nyoka John Gaborutwe Dickson Senna (Singles, Pairs, Triples, Fours)
 
Swimming  
Naomi Ruele (100m backstroke and 50m Backstroke)

Weightlifting    
Kgotla Kgaswane (56 kg)

Officials
Chef de Mission - Tebo Segaise, general team manager Modisaotsile Phatshwane, team attaché Frederick Seno.

Athletics officials  
Manager: Olebogeng Oitebetse
Coaches: Mogomotsi Otsetswe, Justice Dipeba

Boxing officials Coaches: Lechedzani Luza,  
Intern: Grace Mmolai

Lawn Bowls officials   
Regent Abba Reid (Manager)
Coaches: Elandri Collington, Jane Margaret Mitchell

Swimming  
Coach / Manager: Ignacio Gayo

Weightlifting
 Coach /Manager: Alex Rankgwe

Sport Science and Medicine  
Dr. Stella Tawana

Physiotherapists; Captain Gabotepele Molefhi, Tyron Low
   
Strength and Conditioning; Dr Maikutlo Kebaetse
 
Psychologists: Kagiso Tlhabano Dr. Tshepang Tshube
 
Sports/ Massage Therapist Erin Barnes (CGA attaché)

 Chiropractor: Dr Phillip Claussen.ENDS