18 Jul 2022

Team Botswana coach, Dose Mosimanyane is hopeful that Bayapo Ndori and Isaac Makwala will make it to the next round of the World Championships currently going on in Oregon, United States.

Ndori and Makwala will compete in the 400 metres semi-finals on Thursday after recording positive results in their respective heats on Sunday.

Ndori, who was a marvel to watch in heat five, came first clocking a Personal Best time of 44.87 beating seasoned athlete, Kirani James of Grenanda while Makwala came third with a time of 45.93. Lamentably, Anthony Pesela, who was also competing in the same heat, bowed out of the competition after finishing sixth with 47.36.

On Ndori’s performance, Mosimanyane said he could tell that the athlete was determined to book himself a place in the semi-finals, particularly that it was his World Championships debut.

“During the heat, Ndori wanted to make sure he books a place in the semi-finals given that it was his first World Championships. Therefore he would like to experience each stage as it comes,” he said.

Mosimanyane also commended Makwala for running well in what he termed a difficult lane, saying ‘he did well to go out hard the first 200m. If you let them leave you far behind from the inside lanes, it is difficult to close the stagger on the last curve going into the home straight.’

On Pesela, who was in lane two, Mosimanyane said that was challenging place for him owing to his running style of attacking late.

“With his style of attacking late it meant he needed to close the stagger in the first 200m so that when he gets to home straight, he is slightly ahead or at least with the rest of the athletes, not too far behind,” he said.

Meanwhile, Botswana Athletics Association’s former secretary general, Patrick Moesi, who was also following the athletes’ performance, was of the view that going into the semi-finals, Makwala as a great 400m tactician, should ensure that he gave it all so that he could qualify for the finals.

“Makwala stands a good chance to make it to the finals, especially running from the outer lanes where he normally thrives. But he would have to start off quick in order to boost his chances of qualifying,” Moesi said.

On Ndori, Moesi said the athlete was a ‘surprise package’ having qualified with the best time and a Personal Best.

“He is a fighter and a very smooth runner and I expect another great performance in the semi-finals,” he said, adding for Ndori to have beaten James in the heats was a boost in confidence and would relish the chance of repeating the feat.

“If he can do that then he will definitely make it to the finals. We may see him improve his time yet again,” he said. BOPA