BAA braces for bumper 2017 season

Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) is braced for what is expected to be a bumper year   in track and field following huge disappointment at the recent Rio 2016 Olympics.

The first high profile competition in the BAA calendar is the World Athletics relay scheduled for the Bahamas in April while the Botswana National Championship is slotted for May 13th before the IAAF world championships. This week BAA development coach Mogomotsi Otsetswe said preparations are underway for the 2017 season with some of the athletes having already reported to camp.

Otsetswe said they expect a hard battle to erupt among athletes as the closing date for the national team selection draws nearer. “We have to give out the names by February 12, everyone is fighting for the top spot but till then the BAA is not in any position to name who will be included and who will be left out,” he said. The Association has witnessed a significant number of fresh faces displaying great potential. Nevertheless, he pointed that due to financial constraints; the Association has not yet brought all the athletes to camp.

The sensational 400m male Sprinter Karabo Sibanda has not yet reported to camp but Otsetswe was quick to point out that all the necessary procedures have been put in place and they are expecting him to be on camp anytime from today.Among those on camp is Botswana’s star 400m female sprinter Amantle Montsho who is said to be doing well in training. Montsho returns to the field of athletics after serving a two-year ban for failing a doping test at the 2014 Commonwealth games.

The coach said Montsho’s performance is currently top notch, adding that he is confident that within the next two months, she will have reached her usual and required standard.

“She seems to have a mission to accomplish, the thirst and eagerness in her eyes is vivid enough and honestly it does not come as a surprise, she has a mountain to climb ahead of her, to ensure that she returns to her glory days. Otsetswe revealed that Baboluki Thebe’s two-week treatment in Italy following an injury he sustained during the Olympic games seems to have done the trick.

He said the specialists gave them a certain training programme to follow and they have not encountered any problems so far.  However, Thebe can only be fully cleared by the end of February after consulting with the specialists once more.