13 Aug 2023

Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) is confident that it has sent a galaxy of stars who will deliver results and bring home medals from the Budapest World Championships.

At the team’s send-off ceremony on Friday, BAA vice president, Oabona Theetso said the last time Botswana won a medal from the World Championships was in 2011.

This, Theetso said was motivation enough for athletes to do their best and win medals.

 “We are confident that we are sending a galaxy of stars to Budapest who are going there to compete and bring medals. Athletics is the only code in the country that has so far won two Olympic medals for the country. And we will continue to make the country proud,” Theetso said.

The team leaves today for the championships which will be held from August 19-27.

The Budapest-bound team comprises Letsile Tebogo who will be competing in both 100m and 200m, Leungo Scotch, Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi to compete in the 400m, Tshepiso Masalela (800m) as well as the 4x400m women’s relay team made up of Lydia Jele, Tlhompang Basele, Golekanye Chikani, Galefele Moroko, and Oratile Nowe.

The 4x400m men’s relay team comprises Scotch, Ndori, Kebinatshipi, Zibani Ngozi, Laone Dishetelo, and Baboloki Thebe.

Debswana’s executive head of corporate affairs, Rachel Mothibatsela, said Debswana’s support to athletes had added value to the journey of sport development, global participation and excellence.

Mothibatsela said the events stacked up to assist in the development of athletes as evidenced by the good performance the team had continued to display.

“For us at Debswana, our partnership with the Botswana Athletics Association is a proclamation of our purpose to Make Life Brilliant for our communities. This commitment is espoused in our 2024 business strategy, dubbed, One Team, One Dream and our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, dubbed Building Forever,” she said.

On the other hand, she said investing in the future of communities during and beyond the life of their mines remained core to them.

“Debswana continues to support livelihoods and employment creation through sports development as part of our sustainability agenda, as well as our commitment to supporting Botswana’s Vision 2036 and the United National Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.

For his part, Botswana National Sport Commission chairperson, Marumo Morule thanked Debswana for partnering with BAA.

A word of encouragement to the athletes jetting to Budapest from Morule was that as they would be flying Botswana flag high during the competition, it was of paramount importance that they hoisted it with pride. Ends