02 Oct 2022

Golazo Sports International chief executive officer, Bob Verbeeck, says he is happy with Botswana’s sporting facilities.

He said in an interview that he came to Botswana to do a site visit prior to the Botswana Cross Country Challenge and Golden Grand Prix to be hosted by the country next year.

“It is our objective to lure top athletes to Botswana next year because in Kenya we had Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce running 10.67,” he said.

Verbeeck said he was confident that top athletes would also want to compete in Botswana, adding Kenya, through Kip Keino Classic, had made a case for Africa.

Furthermore, he said athletes were now cognisant of the fact that Africa was in a good position to deliver a competitive meet.

Verbeeck said he was happy with the facilities he had toured, but said the National Stadium did not have a warm up area, adding however that he was informed that Lekidi would be used for warms.

“I think the stadium is fantastic. It is a 26 000 seater cozy stadium, and we look forward in trying to fill up the stadium and we need to focus on the promotion of the coming events,” he said.

His company, he said, had been organising Brussels Diamond League for the past 20 years and also assisted Athletics Kenya in the Kip Keino Classic and Agnes Tirop Cross Country meet.

Kip Keino Classic meet director, Barnaba Korir, said his mission in Botswana was to help with preparations of the events that World Athletics allowed Botswana to host.

He said in Kenya they also had a cross country in January, adding Botswana was also given the right to host a cross country race.

Kenya, he said, was given the rights three years ago and they managed to host all the events including Kip Keino successfully.

“We were therefore asked by World Athletics and Botswana Athletics Association to give a helping hand in ensuring that the meet becomes a success. Remember this is the first time Southern Africa is given an opportunity to host a major event,” he said.

Korir said it was therefore critical for Kenya and Botswana to partner in order to deliver a successful event. ENDS