07 Oct 2019

Botswana’s hope for an IAAF World Championship medal diminished when the men’s 4x400 metres relay team was disqualified for flouting baton exchange rules during the heats in Doha on Saturday.

Despite running a seasons best of 3:01.63, the mistake cost the team a place in yesterday’s finals.

According to IAAF relay rule 170.19, all takeover athletes are not permitted to begin running outside their takeover zones and should start within the zone. Onkabetse Nkobolo, Ditiro Nzamani, Leungo Scotch and Zibani Ngodzi made the team.

Scotch allegedly overstepped the beginning of exchange zone when receiving the baton from Nkobolo, hence the disqualification.

Track and field analyst, Aobakwe Showa, said this was a blow for the nation, given that the team experienced injuries that resulted with Nijel Amos and 4x400m women team pulling out of the competition.

He said the relay team’s disqualification was a double blow thus missing a medal and failing to gain automatic qualification to Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Showa said Botswana would have to do it the hard way in which they would have to clock the quickest fast time during the qualification period just like with the Doha qualification.
 

“But I am optimistic that with the return of Karabo Sibanda, Isaac Makwala and  Baboloki Thebe, we will easily qualify for Tokyo,” he said.

According to Showa, there were notable mistakes with baton  exchange.

He, however, said it was an experience the young athletes would learn from, adding that all the three except Nkobolo were debutants on the global stage and the pressure was enormous.

“We need to do more in regard to baton exchange not to suffer the same fate we did in the previous World championships in London. It was disastrous too after being the favorites for the gold only to drop the baton and failing to make it to the final,” he said.

Although Botswana lodged an appeal, the jury reviewed the video and concluded that the exchange by Botswana team was illegal, therefore the appeal was rejected. ENDS