20 Apr 2023

It’s all systems go for the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix slated for April 29 in Gaborone.

Speaking at a press conference  in Gaborone on Wednesday, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) co-director, Tuelo Serufho, said the main facility being the National Stadium was ready.

“What we are currently doing is completion of minor things like painting. We have also secured Lekidi football centre to be used as a warm-up area and at the moment we are paving the route between that facility and the National Stadium for ease of movement for both athletes and the roving cameras,” he said.

Serufho said paving was expected to be completed on Sunday, adding that for timing equipment, they had engaged Time Tronics, a company from Belgium,which has a wealth of experience in such events.

“We do not want a repeat of what happened the last time when Letsile Tebogo ran a world record, but could not be ratified because of poor timing. I can now rest assure you that all records broken here will be well timed,” he said.

For his part, technical committee chairperson, Justice Dipeba, urged Batswana to attend the event in large numbers.

He said this could put the event on an advantage to be promoted to a Diamond League, which would only be the second in the continent after the Rabat Diamond League in Morocco.

Botswana Athletics Association president, Moses Bantsi, said they weres happy to have been given a chance to be associated with such a global event.

He also said Botswana should be proud and give the event a value it deserved.

“This event means a lot in terms of how much it could sell the country internationally, so Botswana has to be proud to be among a few African countries to host such an event and we have to ensure that it gets even better next year,” he said.

Local artists, Dr Vom and Culture Spears have composed a theme song for the event.

Meanwhile, international athletes will address a press conference today at Avani, which has been designated the athletes’ village. ENDS