04 Aug 2015

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama was amongst hundreds of Batswana who welcomed the country’s 800 metre runner Nijel Amos at the National Stadium.

Nijel arrived home on Tuesday August 4 after a sterling performance at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League and is currently topping the log with 12 points. 

Speaking at the welcome ceremony, the Minister of Youth Sport and Culture, Thapelo Olopeng said both Amos and Isaac Makwala have qualified for the IAAF World Championships which are scheduled for Beijing, China, this month.

He said for the athletes to make the country proud at the championships it was imperative that everyone including government, the private sector, sports administrators and Batswana at large should pledge support in any way possible. 

Minister Olpopeng said Amos has become a true hero in local sport and that at a tender age of 17 in 2011, he competed at the African Junior Athletics Championships and set a new record time of 1:47:28. 

In 2012, he said the athlete improved his national record to 1:43:11 during a race in Mannheim. 

Furthermore, he said Amos became champion at the 2012 World Junior Championships, finishing in a new championship time of 1:43:79. 

He told the gathering that Amos continued to put the country on the map in the 2012 Olympics by winning the first Olympic medal for the country when he finished on second position.

Minister Olopeng said after an injury filled 2013 season, Amos returned to form in 2014 where he set a world record time of 1:43:63 at Prefontaine Classic. At the Hercules IAAF Diamond League, he again set a world leading time of 1:42:45 beating Kenyan David Rudisha for the second time, adding that his performance was the fastest 800m race since the men’s race.

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the minister said Amos won the 800 metre gold medal in 1:45:18 and continued with the sterling performance until last month when he claimed the 800m victory against Olympic champion Rudisha.

“As we celebrate this great achievement, I wish to talk to Amos as a parent and provide good counsel that will catapult him to greater heights. Embrace discipline and self-control in order to continue in this path of success,” he said.

He advised the athlete to consider getting financial counselling to invest in worthy projects and put his money to good use.

Minister Olopeng said the government supports clean sport and protection of clean athletes and were glad that Amos competed and won fairly. 

“I wish to thank Amos and Makwala for a job well done. I also wish to thank their coaches, managers and sponsors for bringing out the stars in them,” he said. 

For his part, Amos said motivation comes in different ways, adding that his hero’s welcome was a motivation.

He said as athletes, they do what they do best in the track for the nation, saying sometimes his body would communicate to him that ‘Nijel you are tired,’ and I will tell my body that shut-up, I am not running for myself but I am doing it for my country.

Amos said further both the nation and government should continue to support athletes even when the ‘chips are down.’

He decried that sometimes they do not have support, adding that people should understand that there were two races; a bad one and a good race, and that one could not always win all the time.

He said athletes need more support, especially after losing a race. He added that people Batswana should not only want to associate with them when they have won a race. Ends