Golden Door Sports Agency will host the inaugural Botswana International Cross Country Championships on the 27th of January at the Stanbic Bank Gaborone Golf Club.
The event, which is sponsored by FNB to the tune of P500, 000 will comprise of senior men and women 10km, junior men 8km and junior women 6km and 8km mixed relay categories.
The winners in the main race for both men and women will walk away with USD2, 000.
The event is also the only qualifying race from Southern Africa for the World Cross Country Championships to be held at Belgrade Serbia on the 30th of March.
The event organizer, Glody Dube, says this cross country is unique and it will be the first of its kind to be held at the Gaborone Golf Course.
He said the venue is a technical course and that it will test both the physical and mental ability of the athletes.
“This course will demand cross country nous as the athlete’s rhythm is broken over several challenging sections. Runners will need to be constantly thinking about their pace, and positioning in the pack. There are a couple of uphills that athletes will have to battle with throughout the course.
FNBB Director of Marketing and Communications, Peo Porogo, highlighted that the bank’s interest in sports goes beyond traditional sponsorship.
She said it reflects their dedication to a shared value strategy which is aimed to ensure that communities they operate in are developed and they benefit from their success.
Porogo further indicated that their involvement in sports spans from grassroots to elite levels, exemplified by their sponsorships of the Botswana Tertiary Student Sport Association (BOTESSA) and the Botswana Football Association junior teams in the past 4 years.
“In the next month, the FNBB Kazungula Bridge Marathon, another significant event on our sporting calendar, will take place once again in Kazungula, Kasane. These collaborations are not just about sports; are integral parts of our efforts to uplift the community and stimulate economic growth. The Botswana International Cross-country, recognised as a Gold Status event by World Athletics, creates an extraordinary opportunity for FNBB to actively contribute to the multi-dimensional development of athletics in our country,” said Porogo
She also said as the gold sponsor, they envision this event as more than just a showcase of athletic talent.
Porogo said it’s about forging a legacy, nurturing the aspirations of young talents, and positioning Botswana as a prominent destination for international sporting events.