12 Apr 2022

Sprinter, Stephen Abosi, will run on home soil for the first time at Gaborone International Meet (GIM) scheduled for the National Stadium on April 30. 

He recently made headlines at the 18th World Athletics Indoor Championships in Serbia. 

Batswana will now have a chance to see the Canada-based sprinter competing in the 100 and 200 metres categories. 

Abosi was the only Motswana who competed in the men’s 60 metres where he finished in the semi-finals with a national indoor record and a personal best time of 6.61. 

GIM spokesperson, Calistus Kolantsho, said they had started to compile start list, adding that they had registered a number of interesting athletes. 

“Batswana will for the first time see Stephen Abosi. A lot of people just saw him at the indoor championship. Now we have brought him home for Batswana to see him live,” he said. 

Kolantsho said Abosi will join the likes of Nijel Amos, Isaac Makwala, Letsile Tebogo, Zibani Ngozi, Leungo Scotch, Boitshepiso Kelapile, Christine Botlogetswe, Lydia Jele, and Tsaone Sebele to hoist Botswana flag high. 

Furthermore he said GIM had other big names such as South African sprinter, Hendricho Bruintjies as well as Namibian ‘terrible twins’ Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi. 

“Their presence would motivate our athletes to produce fastest times. I spoke to some of our athletes and they are very excited to be sharing the track with the 200 metres Tokyo 2020 silver medalist,” Kolantsho said. 

He said GIM edition had also attracted athletes from Bahrain, Cameroon, Germany, Holland, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Syria, Zambia, Portugal, and Zimbabwe. 

However, he said organisers were facing a sponsorship challenge, adding that all the international athletes came at a fee, as they had to pay for their flights and accommodationy. 

He urged companies to partner with GIM to help attract big names to Botswana.

Meanwhile, for the Premium event position, one will pocket P10 000, position two P7 000, while third position and four will win P4 000 and P2 000 respectively. 

In the Classic event position one will win P4 000, position two P3 000, while three and four will take P2 000 and P1 000 respectively. 

For promotional event, position one will pocket P4 000, second position P3 000 and position three and four will win P2 000 and P1 000 respectively. ends