Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BNOC, Tuelo Serufho

With various countries across the globe already gearing up for the fifth (Vth) Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) has also started to ready local athletes to compete at the five day pièce de résistance.  

The multi-sport event which is expected to pull 1000 young athletes aged 14-18 will be  held at the pacific Island nation of Samoa from 5-11th of September however the local athletes are not aiming for any particular medal or position.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BNOC, Tuelo Serufho the local contingent will be made up by a total of 11 athletes from the three sporting codes of athletics, Boxing and swimming.

“We had space to include another athlete from any code but we increased athletics participants because we wanted those who had potential looking at their performance,’’ he said when asked why only three codes were to be represented at the games.

Majority of the team members are said to already be on camp, with the athletics team based at Oasis Motel. The boxing and swimming teams have already begun training, especially because public schools are closed.

Serufho said the Ministry of Youth Sport and Culture has availed P2.2 million to be used for the preparations and meet other areas of demands like the attire as well as transporting other athletes since the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) will provide transit for only six members.

The games which are regarded as the springboard to stardom for the sporting greenhorns after the likes of Nigel Amos, Leungo Matlhaku and Naomi Ruele passed through them is expected will produce another group that will go on do well in future.

This year’s competition will be the third for Botswana to compete at after taking part in 2008 at Pune, India and in 2011’s Isle of Man games. BNOC has never set the young athletes any targets but they have managed to bring two medals consecutively at the said competitions.

“The same thing applies even this year as we don’t want to put them under any pressure, what we only want is for them to gain exposure and experience so that when we demand results at Commonwealth Games one day they will be ready,” stated the CEO.

The team that will be launched on Tuesday is expected to include some  celebrated emerging athletes like Thabiso Sekgopi, Karabo Sibanda and Baboloki Thebe in athletics while the likes of Mohamed Otukile is expected to make the cut in boxing.

With the preparations already in full swing, one would wonder if enough is being done to address the hot issue of doping. According to Serufho, “We give them education during camps like what we are doing right now; the anti-doping agent visits them regularly and also there are regular random tests done on athletes.”   

BOTSWANA BID TO HOST 2021 CYG

Meanwhile Botswana has expressed interest in hosting the next games. The BNOC holds that by hosting the games, the country would be opening itself up to the prospect of hosting other international competitions. Serufho confirmed to Weekend Sport that they are interested in hosting the 2021 games. “We did express interest and we have already submitted the budget to the government we are only awaiting their blessings then we can submit the bid at the end of September,” he said.

The Francistown born CEO, said last year’s Africa Youth Games (AYG) were an eye opener and they have gained hosting experience through them. While he conceded that they had not hosted any international games, he was hopeful that the world dance competitions and the 2017 U-18 Netball cup would further impart to them some experience.

In terms of the facilities Serufho said, “Now we have amenities like the UB indoor facility and two tracks in UB and the national stadium, besides, unlike the AYG which had 21 sports the CYG has only 10 so we can easily pull it off.”

BNOC SUPPORT SA’s DURBAN 2022 COMMONWEALTH BID

Meanwhile, South Africa is the only country that has expressed interest in hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and BNOC is fully rallying behind them. In the past weeks SA convened a meeting asking for support from their continental and Asian counterparts and BNOC has expressed that they fully support them. Serufho who attended the meeting said “South Africa has facilities and they have experience in hosting plus their weather in Durban is also fantastic so I believe they can host the games.”

Botswana would indirectly benefit, should SA win the bid to host.  “The teams will arrive early to acclimatize and they might camp here, this would help us to have some preparatory games also,” he concluded.