The Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games have come and gone and the games’ ‘gold dust’ has settled.
The games, which were ‘bedeviled with problems’ ranging from lack of security to falling stadiums and inhabitable athletes’ villages just a week or two before the games had begun, went almost incident free.
For the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA), the games brought a feeling of d├®j├á vu as its track athletes put up a good show at the games.
“Considering that we had sent a small contingent to the games, I believe we performed exceptionally well at the games,” BAA president Moses Bantsi told Standard Sport in an interview.
Despite missing out on the medals in both the men and women 400 by 400 m relays, the games showed a glimpse of Botswana’s potential future should more time and resources be invested in the sport.
While the country was caught up in the euphoria of Amantle Montsho’s golden moment at the games, it was however the country’s lesser known track athletes who impressed the most.
Among these are 400 m semi-finalist Kgalalelo Sefu as well as fellow women’s 400 m relay runners, Lydia Mushila and Oarabile Babolai.
The three ladies have an average age of 20, making them a future team. The oldest of the trio is German-based Sefu, who is 23, while Mushila is aged 20.
And, at 18, Babolai is the youngest of the trio and also the youngest of the whole Botswana contingent at the Commonwealth Games 2010.
While Sefu is receiving elite training, the duo of Mushila and Babolai is locally based with Mushila studying at the Botswana College of Agriculture while Babolai has just completed her secondary education. Despite their potential, the two athletes may miss out on being elite athletes as the BAA does not have the means and resources to send them for elite training outside the country.
“Unlike Amantle, these athletes have been discovered early in their careers. While Amantle peaked late in her career, these athletes can, with the right training, reach their peak early and potentially bring the country more glory,” Bantsi told Standard Sport.
The BAA chief says there is lot of potential within the country, adding that, resources permitting, the country can still unearth a lot of track as well as field events stars.
Bantsi cited among others very talented youngsters like Mmilili Dube and Leungo Matlhaku, who are part of their London 2012 and beyond plan as some of the youngsters who can make the country a force to reckon with in the coming years.
“We have also engaged a Cuban expert to help us in the development and training of our field athletes and sooner we expect to have athletes competing in disciplines such as hammer throw, javelin and pole vault among others,” he added.
The BAA chief says should they have good facilities and the means to monitor their local athletes, his association can still be able to produce world class stars as they also have good local coaches.
With only two years before the London 2012 Olympics kick off and ticket prices already set for the event, time is now ticking. If the country harbours any desire to meet its target and that of the Southern African countries to get at least a single medal from the games, the time is now for athletes to be given the necessary support and resources to effectively compete and get its first Olympic medal.
