13 Jan 2022

He might be a household name today, but the Marobela-native, Nijel Amos’s rise to fame is less flowery.

In 2011, Amos was just your ‘normal’ Motswana boy, doing Form Five at McConnel College in Tutume, playing football and dabbling in athletics.

But somebody saw the potential runner in him and encouraged him to focus more on athletics and lo and behold a star was born.

The young man started taking athletics more seriously and the rest as they say is history.

Amos’ thunder-like speed catapulted him to the same league as the likes of Jamaica’s sensational Usain Bolt and USA’s Michael Johnson within a short space of time.

His star started shining brighter in 2012 at the Barcelona World Junior Athletics Championships where he ran 1:43.79, beating Kenyans Timothy Kitum and Edwin Melly.

The then 18-year-old went on to become Botswana’s pride and joy on the track by winning the country’s first medal, a silver - at the London Olympics in 2012.

Amos’ talent became noticed across the world and he has been at it for a decade, as a professional athlete.

Now the 27-year-old hopes to be part of the 2022 World Championships scheduled for  Eugene - Oregon, United States where he is based.

Hopes are high that Zoro, who is the fastest 800-metre male runner in the world, would take full advantage of home ground to do well in the World Championships since he did not get a podium finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Amos said in an interview that the Olympics were now water under the bridge and he was focusing on the World Championships.

He said he was also happy that he managed to be on track for 10 years, despite facing challenges of injuries and medal drought in big competitions.

He said as he will be running in front of a community that gave him so much support and love.

He would do his best in the chase for the only medal he does not have in his cabinet. ENDS