25 Apr 2019

The 400m endurance duel between Isaac Makwala and Baboloki Thebe will be put to test when the two sought after runners take their enmity to the National Stadium tracks on April 27.

Without shadow of doubt, the country’s best athletes will assemble for the much anticipated Gaborone International Meet, which has set up a mouth-watering clash in big-name runners.

Also lurking in the tracks with something to prove will be Leungo Scotch, Onkabetse Nkobolo, and Leaname Maotoanong who will complete the exciting and rigorous entry list.

The attention will be on Makwala and Thebe given that the last time they shared the track on home soil was in 2016 when the latter stepped out of his familiar territory and competed in the physically taxing 400m.

He then qualified for Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the 400m race during the Private Tertiary Institutions Association athletics championship held at the University of Botswana.

Thebe recorded 45.23 followed by Makwala with 45.58 while Karabo Sibanda finished in third place with 46.32.

Makwala, who was sidelined by an injury for 11 months, said he was cognizant of the fact that ‘the young boys’ were aggressive and their mission was to conquer the race.

He, however, said he had prepared well for the race, adding that he was not under pressure and he was going to enjoy his race.

“What I can tell you is that there are going to be fireworks and I am hopeful that we might see fast times. Remember they are motivated because there are appearance fees,” he said.

On the other hand, Thebe the Hurricane said he was aware of the strong line up in the 400m.

He said he was happy to share the track with the likes of Makwala, Scotch and Maotoanong as such races on a good day could produce fast time. He said he had been preparing for the race.

“To be honest I am going to run my own race, feel the body and see how fast my legs can run, that’s it,” he said.

Athletics coach, Lentswe Charles said he expects the 400 metres event to be an interesting encounter as it would feature a star-studded line up of quarter-milers featuring the 2017 Diamond league 400m champion, Makwala and the once fastest junior in African 400m history, Thebe.

He said for Makwala it would be a season opener after some months without competition due to a long term injury.

He said  Thebe dropped a sizzling 45.70 seconds over 400m as a season opener at the University of Botswana Stadium in March this year although he had to pull out of strength due to discomfort on his leg muscle recently.

“Makwala seems to have been on gym work although he competed in February on a season opener at UBAC on the unfamiliar 600m track event as a 400m race endurance preparation which he did not finish due to injury,” he said.

Charles said with multitudes of track enthusiasts, the two elite athletes would have an opportunity to display world-class performance since they have been fighting for bragging rights of the event

“Now the million dollar question is, who will emerge victoriously and get crowned as a quarter-miler king before they go for an international season,” he said.

Furthermore he said the clash might drop either a 44 second high or low over the long-awaited lapper race but since all of them were quarter miler sprinter types, who had the ability to marshal the race technique and win the lactic acid tolerance battle they were expected to display a wonderful rhythm from the block and throughout the race without fading on the homestretch.

“I think Thebe  will win the race with a small margin since he had been weighing himself in a few races since last season and his season opener on early months of the season was very quick than expected and clearly indicated that he will reach peak performance time with times around sub 45 seconds,” he said. ENDS