21 Sep 2026

The ongoing podium drought in women’s track and field since the retirement of Amantle Montsho has thrown a spotlight on the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA)’s grassroots development strategy. 

The country has struggled to produce female medallists at elite competitions like Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Championships and Diamond League meetings since Montsho hung up her spikes.

The enduring medal drought has raised questions as to whether the BAA and its affiliates are doing enough to identify, nurture and develop young female talent across the country.

However, BAA sport development manager-technical, Patrick Moesi said in an interview that they were aware of the problems they currently faced, particularly regarding the girl-child and women’s participation in athletics.

“We are going to be taking measures to address the issue, we are going to ensure that we have an increase in the number of women and girls that will be taking part in athletics. First, we have started developing our strategy, which talks to issues of addressing participation of women in athletics,” he said.

Moesi said with the assistance of clubs and structures, they would be able to influence women into leadership positions as well as coaching roles.

“Once that is done, we believe that women who are in the clubs and in our structures will be able to influence participation of young girls and that will ensure that girls come into the sport in masses, as we have not seen very good performances in many years,” he said.

He highlighted the need to break social stereotypes, saying doing so would help them get as many girls and women into the sport as possible.

“So, for us to do that, we have to be very deliberate, and it is part of the BAA strategy that has been developed, the attraction as well as retention,” he said.

Moesi explained that retention was key because one had to know how to attract female athletes and keep them in the sport, adding that they were going to be deliberate in order to attain their strategy.

“We need partners, we need the private sector to come in because we want these girls to be attracted to the sport and we need to support them to continue being in the game,” he said.

However, Moesi admitted that it was not as easy for a girl-child to be as persistent as a boy-child, hence the need for the BAA to be deliberate with their support for the girl child.

He urged sponsors, mentors and companies to adopt the girl child, saying that would help improve retention in the sport.

“We are working round the clock as BAA to try to identify partners that will help us to retain the girl child through support programmes, like maybe giving them a monthly allowance and accommodation,” he said. ENDS