The event, which attracted over 300 athletes was held at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium on Saturday but it started two hours behind schedule.
This caused confusion and frustration among athletes as many of whom were left wondering about their competing times.
The scheduling issues were compounded by a malfunctioning timing system, which made it difficult for the athletes to know when their events would take place. Star athlete, Letsile Tebogo, in an interview, said he does not take anything personal and that he has already made time for disappointment when it comes to sports.
He said despite the late start, they could not abandon the event as they had to give their all to meet their objectives. "The athletes will love it when people pack the stadiums to watch them. The time machine wasn't working perfectly, but overall, I am very thankful for the crowd that came," Tebogo said.
He said the competition was about enjoying himself, together with teammate, Bayapo Ndori and their performance indicates that they are headed in the right direction for the 2024 Olympic Games. He said he is feeling well following a muscle strain from last season. Letsile pleaded with Batswana not to have high expectations heading into the Olympics to be held in Paris mid-year. One of the highlights of the field events was Francistown Athletes Club junior Joshua Zulu (17), who out-jumped his more seasoned counterparts after clearing 1.93m. Zulu was pleased with his first-place finish and his ability to surpass his previous best of 1.75m.
The high jumper was also dissatisfied with the way the entire event was planned. Galefele Moroko, the 400m runner, expressed her happiness about the competition after going nearly two seasons without competing. She added that the majority of athletes were not happy with the competition delays. "There is always a delay of several hours before the competition begins.
For example, the 400m competition was scheduled for 11am, but it took place at 5pm," she said. According to Moroko, time is a constant problem in Francistown, but in Gaborone, delays of 30 to 60 minutes are common, which is to be expected. The BAA board chairperson (north) Isaac Mbise said the electronic timing machine contributed to delays. He indicated that the users of the time machine were still inexperienced, which caused hiccups. Despite the challenge, he was satisfied with the outcome. "We didn't expect much from the participants because some of the athletes are from a rest and they will perform better in the next series, which will be held next weekend in Gaborone," he said, adding that he was pleased with the attendance.
