18 Aug 2024

Letsile Tebogo’s success at the recent Paris 2024 Olympic Games did not come as a surprise to some of his teachers. Infact, some have always beleived that he will one day make it.

One such a teacher is Molefi Josiah, who taught Tebogo at Gaborone West Junior Secondary School.

Josiah, who also coached Tebogo, said it was clear from the onset that the runner would become a successful sprinter.

He said he met Tebogo in 2016 when he was admitted for Form One and with time he proved to be a good athlete.

Josiah said Tebogo was an average runner at the beginning.

“I remember we had competitions at the National Stadium while he was doing Form One, where he got position six. I think it was caused by the fact that he was running bending his head, but we corrected that,” he said.

Josiah said it was also his first competition and he ran with people who were older than him, and anxiety engulfed him.

That, he said never demoralised him.

He said Tebogo was also a disciplined child who never missed training, and he would do some drills adding that they used to instruct him to help other athletes.

“I remember the other time we were on the track, and we were doing 50m, then moved to 110m, and we picked that his strides were out of this world, and that is where we started debating as teachers that he should drop the 100m, but rather focus on 200m and 400m,” he said.

Furthermore, Josiah said Tebogo then terrorised in 100m and 200m.

In 2018, he said he won a gold medal in 100m, 4x100m and silver in 200m, where he was beaten by Kevin Lobatlamang during the BISA Nationals.

 “So what he did in Paris did not shock us as we long knew it was coming and it was just a matter of time,” he said. Another teacher, Gabojelwepheko Sejeso said although he was at the field events most of the time, he would go to the track to see progress.

“I am one of the teachers who argued that Tebogo can do better in 400m, looking at his strides, and I told them he cannot be beaten by anyone in the 400m, but I eventually lost the debate,” he said.

Sejeso said he still believed that the athlete could still do well in the 400m given that his Personal Best time is 44.29 and his relay split at the Olympics summed it up all. Ends