Botswana, a landlocked southern African nation of just 2.5 million people, has become a global sprinting powerhouse—and its athletes delivered a defining moment on home soil at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone. With Letsile Tebogo, the reigning 200m Olympic champion, and 400m world champion Collen Kebinatshipi leading the squad, Botswana won the men’s 4x400m relay to a roaring home crowd that World Athletics president Sebastian Coe ranked among the top three atmospheres he has ever witnessed. Officials attribute this rise to local coaching, grassroots programs like Re Ba Bona Ha, and decades of investment in school sports. However, experts warn that the 2019 suspension of school sports programs has created a pipeline crisis that threatens future dominance. Officials have also admitted that they need to expand opportunities for girls and young women to ensure long-term success across Botswana’s athletics system.
The Guardian
