16 Dec 2020

Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) vice president, Oabona Theetso says their efforts to introduce athlete’s registration books is being stalled by the failure of clubs to give them information.

He said they had intended to introduce the registration books next month, and had long requested clubs to furnish them with their athlete’s data base that would help them to know which clubs the athletes were attached to.

“Unfortunately only two clubs, Lions Den and BDF Athletics Club complied while some did not bring all the information that we required from them,” he said.

Theetso said athlete’s registration books were very important to clubs as they would curb complaints that other clubs were taking athletes for free.

“And is it, it is very difficult for a certain club to claim that athletes belong to them without any legal document or registration that binds the athlete,” he said.

Former BAA secretary, Patrick Moesi said there was a need for registration books, or some affiliation to clubs by athletes.

Athletes, he said, were trained and developed at school level. He noted that they ended up at clubs and that registration books would ensure that there was ample data for an athlete.

Moesi said the information was critical to ensure that there was data tracking the progression of athletes.

He said having athletes registered to clubs would ensure smooth transfers if they moved to another club.

He said in the current set-up athletes could just move or be recruited without the involvement of their current clubs.

“This puts a strain on inter-club relations as there is no acknowledgement of the resources that a club would have invested on an athlete,” he said

He added that the use of registration books was long overdue, and that BAA should the project.

He said it would improve inter-club relationships and the movement of athletes as they would  be governed by set guidelines and regulations. ENDS