Challenges with preparations that were faced by the Botswana Team to the World Athletics Under 20 championships are said to have hampered its performance at international meet held in Lima Peru last week.
The team manager Isaac Mbise has said that lack of preparations due to lack of funds affected their performance at the championships, where the team failed to bring home any medal.
This is as the team that was made up of 12 athletes of six male and six female athletes, has not brought home any medal from the World Athletics U20 Championships.
Mbise has told Times Sports that their training camp was limited to only 10 days which they could afford through funds from Debswana.
He lamented that they also encountered challenges of injuries and acclimatisation to the environment where the competitions were held,
However, Mbise has stated that the team performed well in the 400m relay men and 4x400m relay as in the 400m Kamevu proceeded to the semi-finals with a time of 46.69. Mbise has stated that the 4X400 men’s relay went through to the finals being the third Botswana team at a World Junior Championship, but were disqualified for lane infringement.
“The performance of the team was satisfactory because the situation which the team went through, our competitions started in February and ended in May so athletes didn’t have enough time to prove themselves,” he said.
According to Mbise their target was to win two medals from the competition in the 400m through Kamevu and in the 4×400 men’s relay. Mbise has commended Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) board for finding it fit to send the whole team to the World Championships in six boys, six girls for 4x400m mixed relay, 4x100m women’s relay and 4x400m men’s relay.
He also emphasised the importance of the championships indicating that they give athletes global exposure as they market them internationally.
The male athletics team consisted of Ernest Kamevu (200m,400m, 4 x400m), Thabang Monngathipa (400m,400m), Keorapetse Oreokame (400m, 4x400m), Seleka Lefatshe (400m,4x400m,4x400m mixed), Justice Oratile (4x400m, 4x400m mixed) and Fredrick Mathathi (4x400m and 4x400m mixed).
The female athletics team consisted of Sethunya Majama (200m, 4x100m), Same Mhutsiwa (4x100m), Kelebonye Otela (4x100m), Ame Bogoma (4x100m,4x400m mixed), Warona Thonisani (4x100m, 4x400m mixed) and Wedu Matiwe (4x100m and 4x400m mixed).
