After the National Olympic Committees supported the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to continue with the Olympics despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) says it will have to revisit its stand.
BAA had initially suspended all the events that were supposed to be held locally as per the BAA calendar of events until further notice.
However BAA vice president Oabona Theetso said in an interview that they were cognisant of the fact that the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) had shown support to the IOC to continue with the Olympics.
He said that, therefore means that BAA would have to prepare the athletes so that some of them qualify for the Olympics.
Theetso said the BAA was still considering to host some indoor meets, which would be strictly held without spectators.
“Again, if we are to host the meet, we will not hold all the events at a time, we will be hosting, for example, 100 and 400 metres, and then in the next meeting we do 100 and 800 metres, so that even athletes do not come in large numbers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation sport journalist, Daniel Wahome said in a telephonic interview that the situation in Kenya, the powerhouse of Africa’s athletics, was ‘serious’.
He said all athletics training camps had closed, all public stadia were also closed and all sporting codes were on suspension.
Wahome said no athlete was allowed to travel outside the country, and anyone who had been to a country with a single case of COVID-19 had to self-quarantine for 14 days.
“In short, athletes are training on their own with social distance being emphasised, team sport codes can neither do real tactical training nor meet,” he said
He said with Kenya having confirmed seven cases, more may be announced and a cautionary period of 30 days imposed, where movement was restricted.
Wahome said the most affected people were athletes who relied on races, footballers who relied on match bonuses, and their on contracts.
“Another crazy outcome is that we do not know if Eliud Kipchoge, Vivian Cheruiyot, Brigid Kosgei et al will choose postponed London over the Olympics. Long distance runners have had their year disorganised,” he said. BOPA