BAA takes war to Serufho over Ngozi

The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) has come out with guns blazing against the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) chief executive officer (CEO), Tuelo Serufho over the treatment of 400m Olympian Zibani Ngozi.

The latter was part of the 4x400m relay team that won a bronze medal at the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The athlete was initially dropped from the team preparing for the competition before he was reinstated at the last minute.

The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) had preferred another athlete, Bernard Olesitse to take Ngozi’s place.

The proposal was, however, rejected by the BAA. Addressing the media this week, Serufho said it was normal to start with a large pool of athletes before trimming the squad.

“The context is that every time when we are preparing for major competitions, we usually start with a large pool of athletes. As the competition dates approach, the numbers are usually whittled down after numerous considerations,” he said.

Serufho said that is done due to limited resources, wanting to focus on athletes that would either have already qualified or close to qualifying.

He said in other instances, athletes are released from camp when they no longer have the opportunity to qualify for the specific event for which the camp is held. “In the case of Ngozi, there was a time when BAA was asked to submit only six names for the men’s relay team that would represent the country in Tokyo.

Ngozi did not make that list. That is why he was released from camp,” he said. Serufho said the good thing is that Ngozi kept training to the extent that when some of the athletes that were selected ahead of him got injured, he was roped into the team. Mmegi Sport investigations, however, reveal the BAA always preferred Ngozi, contrary to what Serufho had said.

This publication is in possession of communication between BNOC and BAA over the matter, exposing interference from the Olympics body in the team selection.

In the first letter signed by acting CEO, Wedu Motswetla, BNOC recommended that Ngozi be dropped from the team and be replaced with Olesitse.

“The Local Organising Committee (LOC) further recommends the addition of a 400m runner, Bernard Olesitse to serve as a reserve in the men’s 4x400m relay team considering his recent performance as compared to other 400m runners in the team.

This offer is only available for the named athlete and not any other,” the letters dated February 26 reads in part.

The letter further said any other athlete not on the long list would be given an opportunity should they qualify or prove beyond any reasonable doubt their ability to qualify given the support.

“The problem is that we are not alive to what was discussed today (Tuesday) because we (BAA) were not part of the meeting but ordinarily Serufho should not be discussing such issues with the media in our absence because by so doing, he is denying us airplay,” BAA vice president, Oabona Theetso told Mmegi Sport.

He argued that as it is, some would believe Serufho’s statement when it is not supposed to be the case. “I think he needs to furnish you with the evidence that indeed BAA is at fault (regarding Ngozi’s issue),” Theetso

said.