07 Aug 2024

After three Botswana 400m athletes failed to proceed to the finals at the ongoing Olympic Games, focus is now on the 4x400m relay team which starts its campaign on Friday. 

The three, Collen Kebinathsipi, Bayapo Ndori and Leungo Scotch, are the strong members of the relay team, and their recovery after their individual races is very crucial for them to handle the three rounds.

Botswana is well known for being aggressive in the 4x400m relay and having recently won the World Relays, the World will be closely watching.

The relay team is made up of the trio together with Lee Eppie, Boitumelo Masilo and Anthony Pesela.

With Kebinatshipi and Ndori having ran sub 45, should they get their tactics right, surely a medal is possible.

Coach Chilume Ntshwarang was confident that the team would deliver. 

He said the athletes would have enough rest to recover for the relay, which would give them freshness going into the tough relay heat. 

He said although the three did not qualify for the finals, they would add value to the relay, adding that Kebinatshipi ran well and dropping a Personal Best time in the semis was a good experience. 

Ntshwarang said Ndori also ran well because he was also on the edge of making it to the final. 

He also commended Scotch looking at the fact that he competed in two rounds on consecutive days, and running 45.16 in the semi-final. 

He said all their performances in the individual events would add depth into the relay team.

He said other relay team members were also training and ready for the competition. 

Meanwhile, the Botswana Athletics Association vice president technical, Kenneth Kikwe, said they were still hopeful for a medal. 

He said despite five athletes to date having not made it to the finals, they were still confident that Botswana would salvage a medal. 

“In my opinion, the athletes are doing well, and the Olympics are not easy but at the same time remember that our team is made up of debutants, so they are learning and  in future we will be one of the nations to watch,” he said. 

So far, Tshepiso Masalela has booked himself a semi-final slot after clocking a time of 1:45.58 finishing in position three in heat two.

Tumo Nkape and Kethobogile Haingura will today compete in the repechage heats after failing to automatically make it to the next round.

Nkape finished sixth with 1:46.99 in heat one while Haingura settled for position seven in heat six with a time of 1:46.46. Ends