Rules prohibit support for Amos
Mqondisi Dube | Saturday May 13, 2023 06:00
Last week, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) banned Amos for three years, effective from last year July, for a doping offence.
Amos reacted to the ban for the first time this week and indicated he had not received support from bodies such as the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC), the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA), and the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Gender and Culture. Amos, in a statement, said he had spent in excess of P1 million fighting a lone battle to win the doping case.
“In this particular case alone, I had incurred expenses amounting to close to P895,000 which includes legal fees, travel and accommodation to Switzerland where the case was being heard. The legal team insisted on engaging a scientific expert to assist in the case and that on its own had attracted a further bill of about P260,000,” Amos said in the statement. “All these hefty legal and logistical fees have to be paid out from my own pocket despite reaching out to the BNSC, BNOC, BAA and MYSC in writing.
The only feedback I was given, not as official correspondence, was that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Memorandum with MYSC restricts them (MYSC) from interfering in any manner with cases such as mine,” Amos added.
The athlete said he took further steps to reach other leaders in sports but his efforts were futile and he was left to fight the lone battle. On Wednesday, the doping agency, RADO issued a statement indicating, indeed the mentioned organisations were not supposed to interfere in the case. The statement fell short of laying the blame squarely on Amos’ doorstep for his doping ordeal. “The Africa Zone IV RADO acknowledges the rights of the athlete to make public statements and express his opinion pertaining to the case.
The athlete purportedly lamented the lack of support from the ministry, BNOC, BNSC and BAA for his legal expenses in dealing with this matter. Indeed, the afore-mentioned authorities are forbidden to provide such assistance to the athlete in line with the provisions of the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport and the World Anti-Doping Code,” RADO said in a statement. Instead, RADO said the bodies should assist in the investigation against the athlete.
The organisation said the support that was provided to Amos and other elite athletes was through anti-doping education and awareness. RADO indicated that there is the Principle of Strict Liability, which all athletes are advised about.
The principle ensures that athletes are ultimately responsible for everything they consume. “The athlete is an experienced and seasoned professional who ignored the patent risk of consuming whatever substance or nutritional supplement that he had which contained GW151516 (a banned substance),” RADO said.