Botswana faces doping predicament
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday July 16, 2022 06:00
This brings to eight, the number of cases Botswana has recorded since 2010, a high figure considering the country's low athlete population.
Nijel Amos' positive result shock from a doping test stung the nation. But it has been occurring regularly since 2010, with eight local and one foreign athlete testing positive for a banned substance.
Botswana is in category B of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), with the classification based on factors around the risk of doping. Category A is having the highest risk of doping while category C has the lowest. Botswana is in the same category as countries such as South Africa, Brazil, China, and Columbia, nations that have a much higher athlete population.
The spike in cases could push Botswana to category A, which has countries such as Kenya and Nigeria. Amos has expressed his intention to investigate the results but usually, judging from previous cases, there is no way back.
The Regional Anti-Doping manager, Andrew Kamanga is having sleepless nights over the occurrences. He worries that the increasing incidences of doping are not a good advertisement for the image of Botswana sport and the country by extension. “However, on the other hand, it also shows that the sport leaders have a lot of work to do in educating the athletes to appreciate the value of clean sport.
It is also important for athletes to avoid inadvertent doping through ignorance and negligence,” he says. Kamanga says anti-doping education and awareness are key issues to be addressed by all critical stakeholders in Botswana. “The time for the blame game is over. Stakeholders must find ways of addressing these challenges through coordinated and collective efforts,” says Kamanga.
The Botswana National Sport Commission chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho says the incidents were concerning if indeed in the end the athletes will have tested positive. “Any case is one too many for our small population and our intention as Botswana sport is to have no adverse doping results. Of course, in the end, we can only do so much and the onus remains on the athletes,” Serufho says.
Sports leadership has been rapped for their silence during the recent cases when being proactive was seen as key. To a small measure, the Russian situation comes to mind. The European country registered cases leading to the situation getting out of hand.
The country has youngsters who should be protected at all costs. Botswana sport has reached a dangerous peak in terms of recording the highest number of cases in a space of one week. All the cases were recorded ahead of the World Championships that kick off today in Oregon, US. Other than Amos, long and triple jumper, Thalosang Tshireletso also tested positive for a banned substance.
The third case involves 2022 Diacore Marathon winner, Munyaradzi Jari after banned substance, Drostanolone (M1) was found in his system. The three athletes have been provisionally suspended with immediate effect.
The decision means the athletes are suspended temporarily from participating in any competition or activity in athletics prior to a final decision at a hearing conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct.