Dr Stella Tawana, who is the chairperson of the Sports Science and Medicine Commission of the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), was the leader of the medical team. “I am a private practice provider at Premier Care Health Centre, based in Gaborone. I am registered as an Occupational Medicine Specialist, which deals with employee health, and this is inclusive of elite athletes. I also hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Medicine,” she said. Tawana explained that her journey with sports started 20 years ago as a volunteer. She has been part of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for major events such as the Africa Youth Games (AYG) 2014, the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport 2018 and Region V 2018 amongst others. “I have travelled with Team Botswana to various regional and international competitions as the team doctor and head of medical team, the most recent one being the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” she said. Sports medicine is a broad branch that includes doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, psychologists, and chiropractors amongst others. “The aim of sports medicine is to prevent injuries, and if they were to occur, to manage and rehabilitate an athlete within a very short time to their pre-injury state.
Therefore, these professionals work with coaches to develop a training programme for athletes to reach their potential,” she said. Tawana said the medical team’s job is not just to treat injuries at the games but also to prevent them. She said the team is trained in anti-doping processes and will, therefore, give athletes the correct medicines and supplements that are not prohibited in sports. “At competitions, it is the doctor’s responsibility to decide whether an athlete can be withdrawn on medical grounds. It is then important to always travel with our own sports medicine professionals who can make the right decisions for our athletes,” Tawana said. She said there is currently one sports medicine physician in Botswana, and less than five doctors formally trained in sports medicine. “They are mostly based in Gaborone and (that is) not enough. Therefore, accessibility is very limited as most are in private practice. Most of our athletes who require these services do not have medical aid, except for a few with sport sponsorships. They only get an opportunity to consult before competitions. We do at times provide free service to these athletes, but it is not sustainable, as they may require other tests such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, which are very expensive,” she said. She added that the right diet is also important in sports medicine to build strength.
In terms of support, Tawana explained that the government has been trying, although it was not enough by releasing employees as volunteers during major games. “That is just a tip of what sports medicine is all about, as these personnel are not available pre and post-games to manage injuries. Having sports medicine professionals playing a major role in sport boards will also give this field a voice at a high level,” she said. Tawana said one of the improvements would be the establishment of a High-Performance Centre (HPC), possibly at the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) with the involvement of partners such as the University of Botswana (UB). She said the right experts in the field of sports medicine should man the HPC. “We spend a lot of funds by taking our athletes outside the country when we have all these activities at home. Funding should also be availed for further training for those with passion. Sports is a competition, unfortunately, sports medicine is one area where manipulation can occur. It is therefore very important to have our own professionals to travel with athletes to major games,” Tawana said. She explained that sports medicine is not based on competitions but requires preparing athletes years prior to the finals. She said a programme requires scheduled medical examinations to manage other medical conditions some of which can occur with age. It also has specific dietary requirements and exercises that will need a well-equipped gym room. “Doctors and other professionals are not cheap, and if we do not prepare, we may in the future not be able to get volunteers. There is a need to look into the remuneration of these providers, or better have a medical aid scheme for the elite athletes. If injuries are not managed as they occur, we risk losing great athletes, as we already have some examples,” she said.
Tawana said sports medicine starts with preventing injuries, right from training. She said it should be part of the training programme if the country is to continue producing top athletes. “Serious injuries can occur during training, and if not well managed, can end a promising career. Athletes should not meet the medical team only at major games,” she said. Meanwhile, Tawana said that the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games are around the corner, so preparations must start now. She said a medical team should be appointed to start working with athletes as they prepare. “Let us not appoint these important players a month before the games. I also call upon the new administration to engage with people that have been in the field, who may have ideas on where to take our sport,” Tawana said.
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