Dipeba Urges Remaining Athletes to Shine at World Athletics Relays
National Team Coach Justice Dipeba has called on the remaining members of the men’s 4x400m Relay Team to seize the opportunity and make their mark at the upcoming World Athletics Relays in China.
Despite the significant withdrawals of key athletes Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Busang Collen Kebinatshiphi leading up to the weekend’s competition, Coach Dipeba maintains a positive atmosphere within the camp. Speaking from Guangzhou, where Team Botswana is finalizing preparations, he assured Voice Sport, “Athletes are looking forward to the competition. The team has accepted the situation and is eager to step up, perform, and make the country proud.”
With the absence of the prominent trio, the spotlight in the men’s 400m event now falls on the experienced Leungo Scotch, 29, alongside the promising quartet of Kabo Rankgwe, Lee Eppie, Victor Ntweng, and Oratile Justice.
Dipeba appealed for national support, urging, “Batswana need to rally behind our young team and believe in their potential. We shouldn’t dismiss or discourage them; this is part of our development. They will be the ones to fill the void when the senior athletes retire, so it’s crucial to show them our support and encourage them to reach the top. As Batswana, we need to remain calm and supportive.”
While acknowledging that expectations have been adjusted, Dipeba stated that the primary goal is to secure qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September. To achieve this, Botswana must finish among the top 14 nations out of the 32 participating teams. “Our main objective is World Championships qualification – that would be a success for us. A podium finish would be fantastic, a bonus, but we will certainly strive for it!”
Despite his optimistic words, Dipeba admitted that losing the three key athletes was a setback, particularly as the country was the defending champion in this event following their gold medal win in the Bahamas last year. “Undoubtedly, we won’t achieve the results we were capable of with our top three athletes present. Their absence has affected both the team and the country significantly. These are high-performing athletes with considerable experience. The initial mood in the camp was low, but we have worked hard to address it, talking to the athletes, calming them, and emphasizing their ability to perform and deliver. They need to be confident and believe in themselves; this is their moment to shine and prove their capabilities to the world,” he explained.
In addition to the men’s 4x400m relay, Botswana will also compete in the men’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m relays. The competition begins on Saturday with four heats in each event. The top two teams from each heat will advance to Sunday’s finals and automatically qualify for the World Championships. Teams that do not finish in the top two but achieve high rankings in the heats will have another opportunity to qualify through a Repechage Round, where six additional World Championship spots will be awarded.
