Tuelo Serufho, BNOC chief executive, has revealed there are still two quota places available for Botswanan athletes to compete at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games ©BNOC

Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) chief executive Tuelo Serufho has revealed there is still an opportunity for two more of the nation's athletes to qualify for the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.

Nine athletes have qualified for the Games thus far after meeting the standards set by the BNOC, who have been given a quota of 11.

Serufho claimed he was happy with the quality of the team, which includes 400 metres runner Karabo Sibanda, a gold medal winner at the 2014 African Youth Games in Gaborone and runner-up at last year's Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing.

It also features boxer Raja Muhammad, another African Youth Games gold medallist.

"We as BNOC have taken a deliberate decision that when we go to these major Games, we are not going to send numbers merely for the sake of participation and or representation, but we are only going to send quality athletes," Serufho told BOPA Daily News.

The Games, due to take place from September 5 to 11, will feature five days of action across two sporting complexes that will play host to swimming, archery, athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, rugby sevens, squash, tennis and weightlifting.

Botswana will be looking to add to Nijel Amos's London 2012 800m Olympic silver medal at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images
Botswana will be looking to add to Nijel Amos's London 2012 800m Olympic silver medal at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

Meanwhile, Serufho expressed his satisfaction with preparations for next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Seven Botswanan athletes have already booked their place in Brazil, surpassing the four that competed at London 2012, the nation's smallest delegation in its Olympic history. 

Five of the athletes are on full Olympic Solidarity scholarships, three of which are located in Botswana, with the other two, swimming sensation Naomi Ruele and 800m runner Nijel Amos, based in the United States and South Africa respectively.

Amos finished in second place at London 2012, securing his country’s first-ever Olympic medal in the process.


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