Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana has sent a 36-strong delegation made up of 29 athletes and seven officials to represent the nation at the junior continental meet.
Botswana’s youthful track and field athletes competing at the 2024 CAA Africa Under 18 and Under 20 Championships will not be burdened by medal expectations, the Vice President Technical of the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA), Kenneth Kikwe, has said.
The tournament, which began 16 July and will end on 20 July, is being held in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Botswana has sent a 36-member delegation made up of 29 athletes and seven team officials to represent the nation at the continental junior event.
Learning is of the essence
“We usually don’t want to put our athletes, more especially junior ones, under any pressure at international competitions,” Kikwe said in a telephone interview. “That’s why we don’t have a medal target for this team. They are young. We want them to go there and learn.”
While BAA’s approach emphasises learning over podium finishes, Kikwe expressed confidence in the squad’s capabilities.
He believes that despite the absence of specific targets, some athletes may still rise to the occasion and bring home medals from the meet or even qualify for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Female participation
“Having no medal target is not to say we don’t want them to do well,” Kikwe clarified. “We know and trust that some of them will bring home medals.”
BAA is also using the tournament to foster long-term development, particularly in female participation — an area where Botswana has historically seen lower turnout.
To address this, the association has entered two female relay teams – one for the 4x100m and one for the 4x400m events. “By doing this, we have already started preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics,” said Kikwe.
Financial constraints
He acknowledged that financial constraints have made it difficult for BAA to host centralised training camps. As a result, much of the responsibility for preparation has shifted to individual coaches at club level.
“I managed to assess the athletes before they left,” he said. “They are fit, and it’s all thanks to our coaches. We all know the financial situation of our country, which is affecting us by extension.
“We also understand because there are many international competitions this year, and that’s taking a toll on our finances and those of the government.”
AUSC-inspired
Despite these challenges, the athletes are said to be well-prepared and eager to compete.
Botswana’s athletics contingent recently performed well at the AUSC Region V Games in Namibia, winning 11 medals — four gold, six silver, and one bronze — a performance that Kikwe hopes has inspired the young team in Nigeria.
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