Although the country’s athletes are yet to take to the track at the on-going Paris Olympics, Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) already has one eye fixed firmly on the future.
The sporting body’s sights are shifting to the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games, with BAA setting an ambitious (some might say far-fetched!) target of five gold medals in four years time, when the greatest sporting show on earth heads to Los Angeles, America.
As it stands, the country has never won gold at the Olympics, Nijel Amos’ silver at London 2012 and the 4x400m men’s relay team’s bronze in Tokyo 2020 being BW’s only medals.
The first tentative steps towards BAA’s golden ambition in LA start later this month, with 12 youngsters heading to Lima, Peru for the U/20 World Athletics Championships, scheduled from 27 – 31 August.
BAA President, Moses Bantsi believes these starlets, combined with the current team in Paris, can take Botswana Athletics to extraordinary new levels of success.
“This team is full of future Olympians for the next two editions of Olympic Games. Therefore, it is very important that they be given full support to prepare as early as now and we’ll be assured to produce great gems in the coming years,” said Bantsi.
“We are calling for generous contributions from all sectors to ensure our athletes reach their full potential like their counterparts in the developed countries. Let’s not put everything in the hands of the government, which already made tremendous contributions to the development of sports in our country, to the level where we are in today,” added the BAA boss, who is confident the available talent can transform Botswana into a sporting super power.
“Every contribution, whether big or small will definitely gets us closer to our goal. It is our view as BAA that we do not appreciate much on the achievements our athletes are bringing to our country. Though much preparation is not done well for them to equate to the best in the world, we are saying there is a need to change and make sure that our athletes are more prepared for the big stage like Olympic Games in all spheres. As the BAA, we are saying Paris 2024 Olympic Games are as good as being gone – and what’s next!” concluded Bantsi.
The Peru-bound team features six males and six females, with representation in the 200m, 400m, women’s 4x100m relay, as well as both the men’s and mixed 4x400m relay teams.
Sethunya Majama, Same Mhutsiwa, Keebonye Otela, Ame Bogoma, Warona Thonisani and Wedu Matiwe make up the girls team, while the men’s side consists of: Earnest Kamevu, Thabang Monngathipa, Keorapetse Oreokame, Seleka Lefatshe, Justice Oratile and Fredrick Mathathi.
Three years ago, at the U/20 World Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, a then 18-year-old Letsile Tebogo announced himself on the global stage, winning gold in the 100m and silver in the 200m.
The Kanye Kid repeated the feat in Cali, Colombia the following year before seamlessly making the transition to senior athletics; the nation’s next generation will be hoping to use Peru as a similar stepping stone…
