Coach Dipeba ranks World Relay bronze medal highly
The Sunday performance of Botswana’s relay teams at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, will go down in history as a remarkable story of resilience fueled by a burning desire to prove critics wrong and rewrite history on the world stage. Led by veteran national team coach Justice Dipeba, the men’s 4x400m relay team secured a bronze medal with a season-best time of 2:58.27, defying expectations and demonstrating their potential ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September.
Without world stars Letsile Tebogo, Collen Kebinatshipi, and Bayapo Ndori, who pulled out of the team at the last minute, Dipeba’s inexperienced team—guided by veteran Leungo Scotch and comprising Lee Eppie, Kabo Rankgwe, and Oratile Justice—not only secured qualification for Tokyo but also earned a $10,000 prize. The team made a strong impression in China, once again showcasing Botswana’s strength and depth in the 400m.
In an interview with Voice Sport, Dipeba said he ranks the bronze medal win highly based on the circumstances surrounding the team prior to the tournament. “For me, this competition is high looking at the calibre of athletes we had in our team. It’s really amazing if you look at how we performed with a team that was doubted and dismissed by many Batswana. I rank it as the best performance we’ve ever had,” said an elated Dipeba.
He stated that the team’s primary objective was to punch their ticket to the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, but what unfolded was nothing short of a miracle. “We are proud of the team because they gave us their best and we see ourselves going somewhere. These boys will be part of the team and this gives us a good tactical approach in terms of who can we rest and those we can use,” he said.
Dipeba, however, confirmed that the four athletes who withdrew are still part of the team, as their decision had nothing to do with the technical staff. “They are part of the team. Even in their absence, they supported the team to the very end. We are excited that we have depth,” said Dipeba, emphasizing that the emergence of new athletes provides a larger pool to select from.
Dipeba lauded Scotch, who delivered a spirited performance guiding the inexperienced team to a podium finish. “What an amazing man. Leaders are not elected, they’re born. We have never taken Scotch aside and said this is your moment to lead; he saw he was needed and took over in the absence of his teammates and made sure that his young team believed. His leadership was amazing, his mates were able to follow and he led by example in terms of performance, discipline and training,” said Dipeba when quizzed on Scotch’s leadership role in the team.
Meanwhile, the mixed 4×400 relay team finished in sixth position with a season-best time of 3:19.11 during the qualifying heat, while the women’s 4×400 quartet of Batisane Kennekae, Galefele Moroko, Thomphang Basele, and Golekanye Chikani, finished sixth in heat one with a time of 3:34.62. The men’s 4×100 relay team of Karabo Mothibi, Larona Mayana, Godiraone Lobatlamang, and Tumo Van Wyk, finished third in heat three with a time of 38.53.
“We were not off pace; the women’s 4x400m is the team we should look into and be very intentional about it because there is a need to help them such that they do better. They are a young team, they need our support and to get them ready. If we put more effort on them we won’t be surprised to see them at the 2028 Olympics. We shouldn’t dismiss them but give them enough time to prepare by camps,” said Dipeba.
