A week ago, on the 26th May 2026, Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) announced the immediate provisional suspension of 800m runner Letlhogonolo Mokgethi.
The athlete is alleged to have tested positive for a prohibited substance, 19-norandrosterone, during in-competition tests conducted on 04 April 2026. His suspension comes at a volatile time when the country is watching a court ‘doping saga’ involving four other track athletes. The four concerned athletes are Lydia Jele, Refilwe Murangi, Zibane Ngozi and Karabo Mothibi.
Worse still, it adds to the increasing number of local athletes serving suspensions for doping offenses. The global list of ineligible persons, as well as the latest sanctions for doping and non-doping violations, both published by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), shows nine (9) names of Botswana athletes on its lists.
Names featured in the global list of ineligible persons, which was published on 01st May 2026 are Laone Ditshetelo, Galaletsang Gabalotlegwe, Jele, Naledi Lopang, Tshepang Manyika, Ditiro Nzamani, Boipelo Pertunia Gaegopolwe and Murangi. The ninth name, that of Ngozi, appears in the latest sanctions for doping and non-doping violations which was published in May this year.
All the athletes in the list were given 3 years ineligibility sanction, with the exception of Ngozi and Jele, who were given 4 years and 8 years respectively. Jele’s 8 years ineligibility sanction comes as she had previously served another doping sanction.
Interestingly, the name of Mothibi, who along with Ngozi, Jele and Murangi are challenging their results in court, is not yet in the list. As the only athlete of the four who has contested his results, his case is still under review.
From this list however, Lopang’s suspension came to an end on the 26th May 2026 (this past month), while Ditshetelo’s will come to an end on 07th August 2026. Lopang’s samples had tested positive for 19-norandrosterone as well as Metandienone, while Ditshetelo had tested positive for Methandriol.
With regards to Jele, her latest suspension comes after she tested positive for stanozolol. Her first positive test, which occurred in January 2017, returned positive for Metandienone. Stanozolol is the same substance alleged to have been detected in Nzamani and Ngozi’s samples. Further to this, Ngozi’s samples are also alleged to have contained
As for Manyika, Murangi and Gabalotlegwe, the AIU list shows that their samples were found to contain oxymetholone. Oxymetholone is derivative of testosterone, and is alleged to significantly increases muscle mass. It is however said to possess adverse health risk as quick increase in muscle mass can lead to a tendon rupture from the increased load. It is also alleged that it can be ‘toxic to the liver, can supress anticlotting factors and can cause irreversible virilisation including deepening voice, acne and excess hair growth.’ In addition, Gabalotlegwe’s samples were found to contain metandienone.
The publishing of the results, more especially the addition of the trio of Jele, Murangi and Ngozi, which occurred this past month is expected to add a new twist to their ongoing court case.
By publishing the names of substances they are alleged to have taken, the AIU is literally stealing the thunder off their argument that their samples have not returned positive findings. The athletes’ argument has always been that their results show ‘no results,’ which they believe indicated nothing was found in their samples.