13 Jun 2022

Botswana finished sixth out of 23 countries at the just ended 22nd Africa Senior Championships held in Mauritius.

Botswana garnered seven medals; four gold medals through Letsile Tebogo in 200 metres, Tlholosang Tshireletso 7.82m in high jump, men’s 4 x400 and 4 x400 mixed relay teams.

Two silver medals through 400m sprinter, Bayapo Ndori,and Tshireletso who leaped 16.77 in Triple jump, while Tshepiso Masalela won a bronze medal in 800 metres.

In the 2018 edition in Nigeria, Botswana only managed to salvage three medals, with Nijel Amos of 800 metres and Baboloki Thebe in 400 wining gold medals, while Christine Botlogetswe won silver in 400 metres.

Botswana Athletics Association vice president, Oabona Theetso, said they were happy about the team’s performance, despite missing by a medal from the targeted eight.

He said they had anticipated at least two medals in the 400 metres and had also projected a medal in the 4x100 mens relay, unfortunately the team was disqualified.

“In addition to that, we had sent a youthful side and some of them were debutants, so they represented themselves very well,” he said.

Furthermore, he said the fact that they won two medals in high jump and triple jump was a clear sign of growth in the field events.

The vice president said Tebogo gold medal in the 200 metres was also indication that there was now growth in all departments.

“We are now covering all the spaces, Botswana has been known as a 400 metres and 4x 400 country, now we can all see that we are now spreading our wings in all departments,” he said. Theetso said bringing home four gold medals was a dream come true for Botswana, considering that other countries which sent bigger teams were at par with Botswana.

“We had sent only 33 athletes, but if you look at other countries they had send a bigger delegation, but we managed to compete with them and finished on a respectable position. We have even outclassed others in term of medal collection,” he said. ends