RENOWNED Namibian sport consultant Quinton Steele Botes on Tuesday launched the 20th Quinton Steele Botes Athletics Course and Training Camp which will be held at Windhoek’s Independence Stadium from January 7 to 13 next year.

Botes, who has been receiving treatment for cancer in Cape Town over the past four months, said he was in good health and that treatment had gone well.

“I’m fine and glad to say that my blood and the bone marrow is clean now. They gave me some chemotherapy treatment, and I spent 138 days in Cape Town of which 99 days were in isolation,” he said.

“Sometimes it was difficult but my friends here in Namibia kept me going. I also had the support of all my sponsors and I’m a proud brand ambassador for Coca-Cola, Marathon Sugar, Avis and Starlite,” he said.

The ailing administrator said his doctors were now searching for an international donor, and if they cannot find one they might go for a cord blood transplant.

“My doctors are searching for an international donor because I have to get a bone marrow transplant. The professor said that especially the plasma cell leukaemia tends to come back, so we’ll have to find some other stem cells just to fight it because at the moment my cells are not doing it,” he said.

“But I’m very hopeful for the future. I’m feeling good and we are monitoring the blood counts now and towards the end of January 2013, if they haven’t found a donor they might go for a cord blood transplant,” he said.

Botes said the Athletics Course and Training Camp would be held for the 20th consecutive year and some of South Africa’s top coaches will once again be involved. They include Steve Rautenbach, who specialises in hurdles, Hugo Badenhorst (high jump), Marna van der Merwe (shot put and discus) and Sunette Viljoen (javelin).

Besides that numerous Namibian coaches with IAAF qualifications will also participate in the camp.

Botes said they would limit the intake to about 300 children, so that they could all receive specialised training.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the training camp, Botes said they would hold a gala dinner on January 10, in honour of his sponsors and supporters over the years.

The co-sponsors for the event are Wimpy, Starlite, Coca-Cola, Avis, Bank Windhoek, Tyres 2000, Hyundai, Marathon Sugar and Adidas.

Gielie van Zyl of Marathon Sugar said they were proud to be associated with Botes.

“Quinton Steele Botes is our brand ambassador and we are happy to see the growth and awareness of our brand through him. We are proud to say that we will also start sponsoring cycling and tennis next year, and I think we, as a company are making a difference,” he said.

Gordon Pokolo of Coca-Cola welcomed Botes back, saying that Coca-Cola would continue its sponsorship of the event.

“It is good to see you back, Quinton. We are looking forward to a big year with you and Coca-Cola will once again be part of the athletics training camp,” he said.

The participation fee for the training camp is N$190 per athlete and N$230 for assistant coaches. N$20 of each entrant will go towards the Quinton Steele Botes Cancer Fund.