Boxing suffers athletics’ therapist fate
Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) has been dealt the same blow as the athletics after a decision to drop the massage therapist and conditioning coach from the team that travelled to the Olympic Games.
Massage therapist and conditioning coach, Boago Lentshaletse has been assisting Keamogetse Sadie Kenosi to shed weight. Speaking to Mmegi Sport, Lentshaletse said while he had no problem with being dropped, he was unhappy with how it was done.
“I started camp last year prior to the 2020 African Boxing Olympic qualifiers, which were held for Senegal and afterwards the camp had to stop due to the lockdown. We were called back to camp towards December until this year as we were preparing for the Olympics. But to my surprise when the day the list for the COVID-19 jab was released, me and my colleague (Kabo Molefhe), were not on it. There was no consultation prior to that,” he said. Lentshaletse said on the day when the team received the COVID-19 shots, he requested an explanation from Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) representative about the omission but he was informed that there were two physiotherapists who would be traveling with the team to the Olympics.
“Our contention was why were we not engaged so that they hear our side of the story and we also hear their side. But there was no explanation. This happened two days after I was in a meeting with BNOC superiors and Local Organising Committee (LOC) where they gave me the responsibility of one of the boxers to be in the right weight for the Olympics,” Lentshaletse said.
He stated that the issue was not to travel but rather the approach and respect of his profession by BNOC management.
“Another thing, the least they could have done was to vaccinate us since we are working with athletes on a daily basis and we have been in camp. There was no valid reason for not giving us a jab. In the list, management is more than the technical and medical staff,” Lentshaletse said.
He said the medical staff that left with the team did not seek any update on athletes’ injuries and recoveries. He said that means they would be dealing with athletes without background.
BoBA vice president, Gilbert Khunwane said Lentshaletse would return to Botswana when training camp ends tomorrow in Khababarovsk, Russia.
“It is difficult for me to explain what happened. However, Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) determines the final officials team. It is the same thing that happened to athletics,” he said.
“You can see that he is with us here again. I am trying to show you that he understands boxers needs better,” he added.
The Olympics chef de mission, Tshepo Sitale said officials are allocated depending on the team size quota.
“So we do not decide, we depend on the quota based on team size. LOC through the medical priority list, which was agreed by all National Sport Associations, we have a doctor, physiotherapists and psychologist as priority based on the quota we have. This is always communicated to all the teams and team managers,” Sitale said.