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23 May 2023

Botswana has plans to increase the number of certified photo-finish judges in athletics to meet World Athletics requirement for all official races.

The country currently has one practising and certified photo-finish judge in Tshepo Kelaotswe.

Kelaotswe is the only Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) official certified to assemble all the equipment for timing races.

The association recently recruited Wazha Makhumalo to train as an electronic timer at the African Athletics Development Centre (AADC) in Kenya.

BAA vice president, Kenneth Kikwe, said World Athletics required that an electronic timer should be used for an athlete to meet an Olympic or World Athletics qualifying time or their official personal best time.

He said electronic timing had minimum errors, was user friendly and that it used sensors to identify the positions of individual athletes.

World Athletics recognises all races measured with an electronic time as opposed to a manual one.

In addition, races such as 100 and 200 metres as well as 100 metre hurdles and 110 m hurdles, long jump and triple jump require a wind speed measure.  ENDS