… Masilingi is done, says Botha
By Michael Uugwanga
Henk Botha, who famously made Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi famous in the world through athletics, has said that World Athletics (WA) has forbidden Mboma from running in any athletics competitions that are affiliated with World Athletics for the next six-months.
The decision by World Athletics not to allow Mboma to run in the next six-months has come as a surprised despite having lifted a ban on her in 2023 after she completed a mandatory six-month testosterone-reduction period.
Ever since lowering her testosterone, Mboma has managed to partake in some few competitions, including regional, but her performances was never the same, of which many people have started to question on whether she will still regain her dominance.
At age 23, she still has lots of athletics ahead of her.
The clearance allowed Mboma to run to official track events which are affiliated with World Athletics, including the 100m and 200m distances, ahead of the 2024 athletic season, however that is not longer a case for now.
Mboma famously caught the world at aged 18, she won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in the 200m final, becoming the first Namibian female to win a an Olympic medal and breaking the World U-20 and African senior record.
“Christine (Mboma) is looking very good and she is in a very good shape after we had her in Europe but World Athletics then said to us that she is not allowed to run in any affiliated World Athletics competitions in the next six-months.
But as a team we are working very hard on Christine (Mboma), as she is now looking like the old Christine (Mboma) that we used to know. So for now she just has to wait for the six-months to elapse. We will be looking at Indoors competitions in December this year or early January next year,” said Botha.
Another athlete, that has been on top of the world, Beatrice Masilingi, just like Mboma, also faced a similar situation of a mandatory six-month testosterone-reduction period, is believed to have hanged up her running boots, according to Botha.
Masilingi also aged, 23, was 18, when she finished sixth at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the 200m finals.
“As far Beatrice (Masilingi) is concerned, I am pretty sure she is done,” said Botha.
