COVID-19 wreaks havoc on Olympics team
Team forced to relocate from Athletes Village
Sports authorities were thrown into panic mode due to a surge in COVID-19 cases within members of the national Olympic Games team. Two boxers, Rajab Mohammed and George Molwantwa tested positive this week, adding to four other cases of Boitumelo Masilo, Thomphang Basele, Ditiro Nzamani and coach, Kebonyemodisa Dose Mosimanyane.
Mmegi Sport is informed that the challenge was that after the athletes tested positive, they were quarantined in their rooms within the Athletes Village.
Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) general manager, Pinkie Wilson said there is concern over the escalation of cases within the team.
“We had a meeting as leadership at the Athletes Village on Tuesday. The main discussion was to relocate the team to another facility so that the village could be fumigated,” she told Mmegi Sport. The team is believed to have been moved to one of the local hotels.
Wilson also said Mosimanyane’s condition worsened this week and he had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital.
Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) vice president, Gilbert Khunwane said the escalation of cases within the camp is due to indiscipline amongst the athletes.
He said even when athletes are in isolation, they still go outside and mix with the rest of the team.
“After the first cases were recorded, the athletes remained in the camp. The idea was for them to remain in their rooms. Now here we are, the cases have increased,” Khunwane said.
Meanwhile, Olympics team chef de mission, Tshepo Sitale refused to comment on the escalation of the cases. He said their recent meeting at the Athletes Village was a scheduled event. He said they have a medical team who would give updates after the process is complete.
Sitale could not be drawn in discussing which process he was talking about but stated that the process was for the two parties, the medical team and the games’ Local Organising Committee, to engage.