21 Aug 2016

Team Botswana is expected home this week following an unsuccessful expedition in Rio.

The team failed to build on a modest success of the London Olympics four years ago, when 800m runner, Nigel Amos won silver.

In Rio de Janeiro, the best the athletes achieved was Karabo Sibanda and the 4x400m relay team in the finals.

The relay team finished on position five with a national record of 2:59.06

Batswana had pinned their medal hope on the quartet of Isaac Makwala, Karabo Sibanda, Onkabetse Nkobolo, and Leaname Maotoanong.

Makwala started the relay well and handed the baton to Sibanda who did not break the momentum handing the baton to Nkobolo in position one.

Although Maotoanong received in second place, he could not match the likes of Lashawn Merritt and Kevin Borle.
Athletics analyst, Billy Tambula said individual splits showed that everybody gave his best.

Tambula said it was difficult for Maotoanong to handle the experienced athletes given that he had also not qualified for the 400m  flat race.

“But we cannot blame him, he did his best it’s only that he was pitted against formidable athletes at the end”, he said.

Furthermore, he said the was affected by Baboloki Thebe’s injury.

“I think generally it really shows that there is progress going forward, all our athletes were at their best, what an achievement, last year at the world relays in

Bahamas we finished eighth in the finals, then in Beijing world champs we failed to advance from the heats, and now we settled for position five in the Olympics final. This is the highest position we have ever achieved in the history of our 4x400m”, he said. Ends