The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) has stirred curiosity and speculation within the sporting community by announcing the exclusion of top athletes from its roster for the upcoming African Games.
Notably absent from the team are Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Tshepiso Masalela, all pivotal figures in Botswana’s past medal-winning performances and qualifiers for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
The African Games, a quadrennial event highlighting the continent’s athletic talent, are scheduled to take place from March 8th to March 23rd in Accra, Ghana. While the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) has yet to disclose the full delegation for the Games, the BAA has announced its team, which notably excludes the three.
Addressing the notable exclusions, the BAA’s Vice President of Administration provided insight into the selection process in an exclusive interview with The Business Weekly Sports. Regarding Letsile Tebogo, celebrated for his excellence in the 100m and 200m sprints, the BAA cited his ongoing recovery from an injury sustained during the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships. Despite Tebogo’s recent participation in two races, Theetso emphasized the association’s cautious approach, prioritising his recovery to mitigate the risk of aggravating the injury during the rigorous rounds of the African Games.
“The same applies to Ndori (a stalwart in the 400m discipline), he also finds himself sidelined due to ongoing healing processes,” he said. Theetso underscored the need to protect Ndori’s rehabilitation journey, recognizing the rigorous nature of the African Games’ format, which entails multiple rounds before reaching the finals. By omitting Ndori and Tebogo from the roster, the association aims to mitigate the possibility of recurrence and ensure their optimal readiness for future competitions.
Meanwhile, Tshepiso Masalela’s absence is attributed to a packed schedule, compounded by his current participation in the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The championships began on Friday, March 1st, 2024, and are scheduled to run until March 3rd. The BAA deems it prudent to spare him from additional races, mindful of the potential strain on his stamina ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics later this year.
Meanwhile, athletics emerged as the country’s leading performer at the previous African Games held in Rabat, Morocco in 2019. Botswana secured four medals, with Leungo Scotch and Galefele Moroko claiming gold in the men’s and women’s 400m events, respectively, and the men’s 4x400m relay team also securing gold. Additionally, the women’s 4x400m relay team brought home a silver medal.
