- But Letsile Tebogo and other outstanding athletes are conspicuous by their absence from Team Botswana
GAZETTE REPORTER
The Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) has set its target on obtaining at least 10 medals at the African Games that are scheduled for 8 to 23 March in Accra, Ghana.
The quadrennial event promises to showcase the continent’s athletic prowess on a grand scale.
At the last edition held in Rabat, Morocco in 2019, Botswana made quite a formidable mark when it raked in 14 medals – five golds, three silvers, and six bronzes.
It must however be noted that the country was represented by a larger team of athletes as compared to that of this year.
Speaking in a telephone interview, the Director of Sports Development at the BNSC, Peaceful Seleka, expressed the country’s aspirations at the African Games.
54 athletes and 34 officials
“Botswana will be represented by nine sporting codes in Ghana,” he stated. These are athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, judo, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, and weightlifting.
A delegation comprising 54 athletes spanning these codes will be accompanied by a contingent of 34 officials in its quest for glory.
The BNSC has emphasised the selection of Olympic sports in order to align its priorities with preparations for Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Forward-looking
“We prioritised the Olympic sports as preparations and qualifiers for Paris 2024 and preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” Seleka explained, underlining the commission’s forward-looking approach to talent development and international competition.
However, the absence of athletes of note from the athletics roster has stirred a bit of controversy. Outstanding names like Zibani Ngozi, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Tshepiso Masalela, all pivotal to Botswana’s past medal-winning endeavours, are conspicuous by their absence from the lineup inspite of their qualification for the Paris 2024.
Athletics, hailed as the country’s top-performing discipline at previous African Games, now faces the challenge of forging ahead without its seasoned champions.
The unveiling of the team marks a pivotal moment for Botswana’s athletic aspirations as emerging talents step into the spotlight to uphold the nation’s legacy on the continental stage.