NIJEL WARNS ATHLETES

• Speaks out on doping as Botswana grapples with rising cases

NANCY RAMOKHUA

& KITSO RAMONO

Botswana’s athletics fraternity is facing an unsettling trend as the number of doping-related cases continues to rise, threatening to overshadow the country’s proud sporting reputation.

In just the past ten months, seven Botswana athletes across different disciplines have tested positive for banned substances, the highest number ever recorded in a single year. The list includes Kagiso Mogale (softball), GalaletsangGabalotegwe and Refilwe Murangi (athletics) whose results were confirmed in June; Tshepang Manyika and Mpho Lekwalo (both athletics) in April and July; and Ngozi Zibane and Karabo Mothibi (both athletics) in October.