Botswana's Olympic prep

BAA gears for Olympics
21 December, 2007

GABORONE - Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) has released a detailed programme of events which if it is followed strictly, it may provide athletes with what it takes to be ranked among world class performers.

Public Relations Officer (PRO), Glody Dube, says the associations calendar of events will start early January to enable the athletes to prepare for Olympic Games slated for August in Beijing, China.

Dube said early preparations will afford athletes an opportunity to qualify for the games and also provide the association with a pool of competitive athletes to select the national team from.

The association is continuously earning praises because of their outstanding performance.

In March they dominated the Barloworld/Botswana National Sports Council Awards winning the best code of the year, administrator of the year, best junior athlete, and best senior athlete among others during.

The code did exceptionally well during the All Africa Games held in Algeria in July scoring five gold medals from the games.

He said their first competitions will start on January 6 with a cross country competition penciled for Francistown and Gaborone.

Dube said the Francistown competition will be facilitated by Francistown Athletics Club (FAC) while Gaborone competition will be organised by Lefika Athletics Club (LAC).

He said the following weekend, New Vision Athletics club (NVAC) will organise the second leg of the cross country competition at Selebi-Phikwe while LAC will facilitate Mogoditshane meet on the same day.

Dube said the association will hold an out of school camp on January 15-28 in Gaborone as a pre-preparation for indoor competitions.

We have to keep our athletes fit to help them qualify for games. Next year is going to be a hectic period without break for us. We have to prepare thoroughly if we want to qualify for Beijing games, he said.

The competitions are organised by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).

Dube said the associations first track and field competition are scheduled for Gaborone on February 10 while the next competition is slated for Molepolole sports complex on February 24.

He said the BAA will send a team of athletes to participate in 12th Southern Region Cross Country marathon competition in Zambia on February 23.

On March 2, BAA will hold another track and field meet in Gaborone. The association will use the meet to select the team that will represent the country at the world indoor competitions billed for Valencia, Spain on March 7-9.

On March 15-16 BAA in conjunction with BISA will hold BISA Zonal competitions at various places across the country.

The club of the year award winner will host the GPH 10km run on March 16 in Gaborone.

Lefika will organise track and field competitions in Serowe on March 23.

BAA will send a team of marathoners to the International Athletics Associations Federations (IAAF) 36 World Cross Country meet scheduled for Birmingham on March 30.

A team of track and field athletes will compete in Mauritius meet courtesy of CAA on March 31 while BISA will hold its finals at Maun on the same day.

Between April 20 and May 4, the association will send a team to compete in the 16th African championships penciled for Ethiopia.

Local athletes will also participate in regional permit meet scheduled for Windhoek, Namibia on May 10.

A week later the association will send competitors to south region senior team slated for South Africa.

The association will also hold the Debswana championships in Orapa on the same weekend. Dube said before the Olympic Games they will send the Junior team to the world Junior Championship scheduled for Zimbabwe on June 7-8 and another at Bylogozoz, Poland on July 6-13.

Meanwhile the other athletes will participate in different meets across the country to keep them fit and in form. We are not going to take any chances, Dube.

After Olympic Games billed for Beijing in August the local athletes will have a break before the next Southern half marathon slated for Angola on September 20. BAA will send a team of runners to the World Road Running billed for Rio-De-Brazil on October 12.

Dube said the association will also send a competitive team of young athletes to the Youth Commonwealth Games roped for Puni, India in October.

He said after that the association will hold local competitions and development camps for their athletes. BOPA