‘I may not run’ - Tebogo joins Ta Lou-Smith in voicing frustration at chaotic African Championships organisation

Letsile Tebogo after losing at the Kip Keino Classic

‘I may not run’ - Tebogo joins Ta Lou-Smith in voicing frustration at chaotic African Championships organisation

Joel Omotto 08:53 - 22.06.2024

Botswana sprint sensation Letsile Tebogo has also hit out at the poor treatment of athletes at the African Championships in Cameroon following Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith’s angry rant.

Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo is become the second high-profile athlete to voice his frustrations over the chaotic organisation of the African Athletics Championships.

The continental event started in Doula, Cameroon on Friday but it has made news for all the wrong reasons with athletes complaining about poor treatment, disorganisation and favouritism.

Africa’s fastest woman Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith was the first to go public when she voiced her disappointment at the poor transport arrangement she has been subjected to, alongside her team.

“My team have to take a yango (taxi) to go to the stadium because the transportation sucks,” Ta Lou-Smith posted on social media in a series of tweets complaining about the situation.

“I am hurt and disappointed. There is so much I wanted to say about the organisation of the African championship.”

Now, Tebogo has joined the chorus, threatening not to run the final if things do not change.

"We'll see about the final because there's a lot of disorganised stuff, so maybe I'm going to run or I'm not going to run," said Tebogo.

"You do warm up, you stay one hour to be called, we know that time is money in athletics. You can't do warm-up sit and then be called.”

The world 100m silver medalllist then called on the organisers to pull up their socks if they do not want the event to turn into a circus as some of the athletes are using it to prepare for the Paris Olympics.

"That's why I didn't even run because I'm looking at the Olympics, I'm not looking at the African Games. They should at least, I don't know if it's to call the association president to come out and help the athletes. That's all,” he added.

"The semifinal I'm gonna run but maybe I won't run the final if the same thing happens today."