The current financial difficulty facing the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) is likely to force the association to send only one athlete to the Cross Country World Champions, which are scheduled for Poland next weekend.
With the BAA having hoped to send a team to the cross country World Championships so as to afford the country to get a ranking, the association has abandoned the idea as it is said to be in the red.
Speaking in an interview, the BAA Public Relations Officer, Ipolokeng Ramatshaba, said Mosa Badubi is likely to be the country’s sole representative at the games. Badubi clinched gold during the recent Southern African Junior championships to help the country’s junior ladies team win bronze at the regional cross country meet.
“At this moment, we are only looking at sending her and an official to the games. We are not yet certain whether this will happen and we are still waiting to see if money will be availed for her to participate at the games,” Ramatshaba explained.
According to Ramatshaba, initially, the BAA had planned on sending the entire junior ladies’ bronze winning team but the financial crisis facing the association made them reconsider. Despite the uncertainty of Badubi going, the BAA PRO said he was busy trying to arrange for a visa for both Badubi and the official who will accompany her to the games should money be available, in which case the country’s sole flag bearer will be expected to leave for the championships this coming Thursday and will be expected back in the country on the 26th.
Ramatshaba said the fact that the association will not be able to send a team is very hard to take as the country will not be ranked. As the situation stands, even if Badubi wins her race, the country will not get an overall ranking.
