21 Mar 2022

New Era College sprinter, Thuto Masasa, continued his winning streak at the National Stadium on Saturday when he ran 10.42 to win a 100m race during the Botswana Tertiary Student Sport Association (BOTESSA) event.

Masasa, who has already qualified for the Africa Senior Championship, will also represent Botswana at the FISU World University Games billed for China from June 26 to July 7.

He was followed by teammate, Moabi Keakitse, with a time of 10.78 while Tlhomang Andrick of Moshupa Brigade clocked 11.57 in third place. 

In an interview, the 21-year-old Masasa attributed his good performance to hard work, dedication and brilliant coach Ofentse Jele.  

“I am happy to have qualified for the FISU Games, though I still need to work very hard to better my time. My ultimate goal is to qualify for all major events on the table,” he said.

In 100 metres women, Tshepang Manyika of Boitekanelo College qualified for CUCSA Games after finishing first with a time of 12.18 followed by with Ba Isago University’s Boitshepo Moloi with 12.51 while position three went to Theo Matswiri of Kang Brigade with 14.52.

Manyika said in an interview after the race that her target was to qualify for FISU Games, adding that she would continue to work hard to reach her goal.

She said she had been preparing for the race since last year and her hard work had paid dividends.

BOTESSA spokesperson, Botho Thobega, said the meet went well despite teething problems, which resulted in some events starting late.

She said hosting the meet jointly with Botswana Brigades Sports Association (BOBSA) was a challenge as they experienced an influx of athletes. 

“That alone meant that we had a large number of participating athletes and since it was the first time, chances were that we will experience some challenges,” she said.

Thobeg, however, said they had managed to identify their problems and was confident that their nationals billed for April 21-22 would be better. Ends