23 Oct 2025

 In Botswana’s pursuit of global sporting excellence, a silent menace is eroding the integrity of its success, unregulated supplements.

BOPA sportswriter, Anastacia Sibanda, takes a look at what could be the cause, the implications and what can be done to address this menace engulfing local athletes at a high rate.

A recent study by Sport and Exercise Psychology expert, Associate Professor Tshepang Tshube of the University of Kentucky has sounded a critical alarm, revealing that 60 per cent of Botswana athletes use supplements, establishing a strong correlation with those who eventually dope.

What is particularly worrying, according to Prof. Tshube, is the fact that athletes can walk into any local pharmacy and purchase supplements without guidance or regulation, potentially exposing them to contaminated products and unlisted prohibited substances.

Prof. Tshube said the widespread use of supplements was just one symptom of a deeper problem and therefore warns that if the issue was not aggressively addressed, the country risks sliding toward a level of systemic doping comparable to nations like Kenya and eventually, Russia.

He attributed the drive to cheat to a fierce competitive spirit fuelled by the country’s own sporting legends.

“We know that Amantle Montsho shattered the glass ceiling in terms of success at a global level, that alone inspired athletes like Isaac Makwala, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi,” he explained.

This hunger for success, while positive, he says has a dark side and Prof. Tshube’s research was clear that athletes determined to win would seek out any possible advantage, even if it meant resorting to prohibited substances that risk their long-term health.

Prof. Tshube’s warnings have now been echoed with the recent casualties and suspensions of two prominent national athletes, confirming that the threat is no longer theoretical.

Quarter miler, Zibani Ngozi and 100m sprinter, Karabo Mothibi have both been suspended with immediate effect after testing positive for banned substances.

Mothibi tested positive for stanozolol and oxymetholone. It is reported that Stanozolol has been a scourge in athletics since it was first banned in 1974.

It is historically infamous for its role in the Ben Johnson scandal, where the Canadian sprinter was stripped of his 1988 Olympic 100m gold medal after testing positive for the drug.

Ngozi tested positive for norandrosterone and methylhexaneamine, a substance classified as a Specified Stimulant on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list.

These high-profile cases underscore the immediate and tangible cost of the doping threat to Botswana’s sporting ambitions and its reputation on the global stage.

The connection between the unregulated supplement market and the growing number of positive tests suggests that closing the regulatory loophole might be the most critical first step in safeguarding the future of Botswana sport. The suspensions of Ngozi and Mothibi serve as a crucial inflection point. 

It is now imperative for national sporting bodies, regulatory authorities and health agencies to collaborate immediately to bring rigour and oversight to the currently unrestricted market of sport supplements. ENDS