15 Oct 2025

Sporting codes must have dedicated team doctors to fight doping which continues to be a significant threat in Botswana sport.

According to Botswana Netball Association (BONA) team doctor, Dr Ariisa Babugura, a significant number of doping cases in Botswana are a direct result of sporting codes lacking dedicated doctors.

Dr Babugura indicated in an interview recently that doctors’ specialised knowledge was critical for curbing doping, with cases frequently registered at crucial times before major competitions.

“Without this specialised guidance, athletes are often mistakenly given medication that contain substances prohibited in competition. This simple error could cost an athlete a fortune, or worse, their career. Therefore, it is essential that more doctors show interest in sport to help curb this trend,” he said.

BONA is looking into incorporating sport science into netball, he said.

“This initiative focuses on key areas like players lifestyle and diet,” he said.

He expressed confidence that embracing science would transform players into a high-performing team capable of consistently winning medals and titles for the country. He noted that Botswana possessed great talent, with some players being among the best and attracting interest from other teams.

He further said they aim to perform comprehensive medicals for the netball team and use the resulting data to optimise the team for better performance. Dr Babugura also highlighted that elite athletes should be given their distinct physiology and needs.

“The few assessments I have done, have already revealed that players were suffering from a condition that is rarely diagnosed by a normal doctor who doesn’t understand the needs of an elite athlete,” he said.

He gave an example of a netball player who might try to lose weight, yet their specific body weight could actually be beneficial in helping them avoid injuries. Thus, he cautioned netballers against pursuing an idealised body that was not optimal for their position.

“In their attempt to lose weight, they often resort to dieting. This practice is detrimental because the intense demands of training and national team camps can lead to low energy availability (LEA),” he said.

He added that LEA can negatively affect an athlete’s menstrual cycle, mood, bone density and immunity and in turn make them susceptible to various illnesses and injuries.

“The best way to prevent this and maintain a healthy weight for performance is not through dieting, but by ensuring the athletes eat more when they are in training,” he said.

On the other hand, the National Anti-Doping Coordinating Office (NADCO) anti-doping coordinator, Frederick Seno pointed that the rise in doping cases was a result of a convergence of factors.

Seno said such factors included limited education and awareness and general lack of knowledge among athletes, coaches and support staff, including doctors, about what constituted doping and its health or career consequences.

He added that the increasing number of cases could also be attributed to inadequate anti-doping education programmes.

He also noted misconceptions, as some athletes believed doping was necessary to compete internationally while others succumbed to the pressure to achieve success and high-performance expectations from family, coaches, sponsors and the nation.

Furthermore, he said economic and social factors such as poverty and unemployment may push athletes to seek shortcuts to success. Seno also highlighted that limited enforcement capacity, few resources for education, testing, investigations, and results management, also contributed to the doping challenges.

Ultimately, he highlighted that collaboration was at the core of anti-doping and every stakeholder, including athletes, had a vital role to play in combating it.

Nevertheless, he said the  Anti-Doping Bill passed in Parliament in August, was a significant development in the country’s sport sector because it would assist in the establishment of a dedicated National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), which would be the principal regulatory instrument for anti-doping in the country.

The Bill was proposed in response to a rise in positive doping cases in sport as well as align the country’s anti-doping framework with international best practices.

It would also ensure functional separation between implementing agencies like the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) and Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), which focused on sport development and the anti-doping regulatory authority, in line with the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), to avoid conflicts of interest.

The legislation would further provide a strong legal foundation for anti-doping activities, including testing, investigations, enforcement and education. It would also strengthen the country’s efforts to ensure clean sport and safeguard athletes health. ENDS