18 Sep 2015

Botswana 400 metres runners made the country proud by winning gold and bronze medal on Tuesday (September 15) at the on-going African Games held in Congo Brazzaville.

Botswana’s first gold medal in this year edition was delivered by Isaac ‘Badman’ Makwala with 44.35, while Bronze was won by Onkabetse ‘Tolly’Nkobolo clocking 45.50. 

Makwala had made his intensions clear of winning a gold when he finished on position one with 45.63 in heat 4, and continued with his ‘no retreat; no surrender’ attitude in the semi-finals (1)one, when he also finished on position one with 44.87.

During the finals, he was neck to neck with his country man, Nkobolo, but experience counted for Badman in the remaining 100 metres when he blasted and opened the gap for his opponents and hit the finish line first, while other athletes were still fighting for a podium finish position.

Nkobolo also has showed that he is a fighter from the start of the competition, given that he finished on position one in heat three with 45.46, while in the semi-finals he settled for position two with 45.10.

One can safely say with his fighting spirit, surely Botswana can be termed a 400 metres hub.

During the finals, position two went to Kenyan Boniface Mweresa with 45.01, while his country man Alex Sampo settled for position four clocking 45.59. 

After the race, Makwala told BOPA that he had a hectic season, but when he left for Congo, he told himself that he had to deliver the gold, come what may be. He said he wanted the gold badly because he has never won an individual medal in the African Games, adding he only won gold in 2007 in the 4x400m relay team.

 “I am happy and I feel good, it was a tough competition, but persistence, dedication and commitment pushed me through,” he said. 

While Nkobolo said he was happy to have fought and forced a podium finish, adding that he was not fit during the final given that he was not well.  

 “For the love of my country, I had to run in the final even though I did not have energy. My plan was to bring a medal home, and I am happy I did,” he said. 

Botswana’s hope of finishing at the podium in the women’s flat race category crashed after Lydia Jele finished on position eight with 53.85 in the 400 metres final, a day after another runner Tsaone Sebele finished also finished on eight with 11.82. Ends