BAA halts Amos' US move

Thato Kala | Thursday October 31, 2013 15:23

 

Amos was on the verge of moving to the US on a scholarship on a Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) scholarship.

But, this week, BAA made it clear they were against that move and were prepared to engage all stakeholders regarding the decision to take Amos to Ethiopia.

 The issue will be discussed next week when the Athletes’ Commission, BAA and BNOC meet the athlete.   BAA Vice President Glody Dube told Mmegi Sport their stand on the athlete’s move was that it was not a good idea for him to go to America.

“Our stand is that he goes to Ethiopia where there is a coach; he must be released by us. We were waiting for him to recover and then he goes to Ethiopia. But, of course, this is a collective decision that would have input from all stakeholders,” Dube said.

The Athletes’ Commission meeting would have been held without the BAA, but the association said they wanted to be part of it as the parent athletics body in the country.

Amos’ conduct has been tainted lately with reports and his own social network posts saying he was now actively involved as a disc jockey.

Dube said it was also important to look at what assets the 20-year-old had acquired with the rich pickings from his silver Olympics medal triumph last July. “We need to see what he has and give the best possible guidance,” he said.

Amos is said to have, among other things, bought a kombi, his personal vehicle and some dee-jaying equipment.   BNOC chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho said Amos was still in the country because of the recent car accident he was involved in.

He said the 800m runner was scheduled to travel to South Africa to conclude a few things there before moving “to his next destination”. Amos was doing a bridging course in South Africa to enable him to get accepted into university.

Serufho said: “We actually have not finalised it (the US move) because we are still discussing it with the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA).”

Meanwhile, Dube stressed they would make a decision for the athlete as an association.

“We will decide for Nijel. We will not give him options this time,” he said. Amos rose to stardom when he clocked a phenomenal 1min 41.73sec over 800 metres at the London Games, but has been struggling with an injury, resulting in him missing the World Championships in Moscow in August this year. He picked up a quadriceps strain injury during a competition in South Africa in April.