By Michael Uugwanga

RENOWENED Namibian athletic coach Henk Botha, who is known for ushering-in the success of the country’s two Olympian athletes, Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, has taken on the training and management of African athletes based in the United States.
“I am currently working with and managing athletes across Africa. I got athletes from Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia based in the US,” said Botha.  
 

“This is a new thing for me. I believe that African athletes have been neglected in the management part and that is what I am currently doing, but my main focus is still to train and help local Namibian athletes with my project to produce Olympians,” he added.
 

He further revealed that both Mboma and are expected to race at the 2025 World Athletics Championship in September 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. 
The two are set to leave for Europe soon to compete in various races to secure points that will enable them to participate at that championship. 
 

Botha assisted Mboma win a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games and the 200m at the Diamond League a year after.
“In three weeks we will leave for Europe to secure races and they can obtain qualification ranking for the world championship.” 
Botha has raised concern with the prescription medicine that World Athletics has imposed on athletes with high testosterone. Mboma and Masilingi were forced to lower their high testosterone in order to compete in any future World Athletics sanctioned events, including the World Athletics Championship, Diamond League, Olympic Games and many others.
Ever since taking the prescription few years ago, the two sprinters (aged 22) and their ban about three years ago, the two are said to have not fully recovered for the ordeal.
 

The two athletes also missed the 2024 Paris Games due to dispute over athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) and naturally high testosterone levels.
“Currently Mboma and Masilingi are training in the country, before we go to Europe. Masilingi is looking well, Mboma's medicine still giving her ups and downs, but we will see about it in the coming weeks or so.”