08 Aug 2024

Who will ever forget the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when things looked dimmer for the country after individual athletes failed to win the medals, but the relay team stood up to be counted and won the first ever Olympic relay medal for the country? 

Well! The country is looking forward to those memorable moments again as the Botswana 4x400m men’s relay take to the track today at the Paris Olympic Games. 

The relay is known worldwide to take no prisoners; their record speaks for its self.

Recently at the World Relays held in The Bahamas, the team made history by becoming the first from Africa to win the 4x400m relay championship. 

Representing the country at the Olympics, is the same squad that took The Bahamas by storm and they include Colleen Kebinatshipi, Letsile Tebogo, Leungo Scotch and Bayapo Ndori. Other relay members are Lee Eppie, Anthony Pesela and Boitumelo Masilo, who are also capable of making it to the first line-up. 

Team coach, Chilume Ntshwarang said he was aware of the trust and expectations from the nation. He said they would use  Tebogo to bolster the relay but  said that would only happen after assessing how he feels, adding “if he has recovered well, then they will think of using him to run a leg in the 4×400m relay.” 

“Remember, he had three rounds in 100m and three rounds in 200m and all the finals were tough, hence his assessment will be crucial,” he said. 

Ntshwarang said their aim was to make it to the finals, and take it from there. 

Former Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) administrator, Patrick Moesi said the individual athletes’ performances in 400m gave hope that the relay team would make it to the finals. Moesi said there were three relay members, Masilo, Pesela and Eppie who have been resting and they were all ready to be called upon for the semi-finals. 

“This is an incredible depth and if the athletes remain healthy, any one of them called up can do the job,” he said He observed that the most important task would be to get the team through to the finals into a respectable lane so that they enhance the chances of success. 

“Botswana is amongst a few, if not two countries that had its full complement of athletes making it to the semi-finals. 

That should give us an advantage in the relay,” he said. Meanwhile, Tshepiso Masalela and Kethobogile Haingura will also compete in the 800m semi-final today, and Ntshwarang said they were focused and ready to go. 

Masalela booked himself a semi-final slot after clocking a time of 1:45.58 finishing in position three in heat 2. Haingura finished first in a repechage round, heat one with 1:45.52. Tumo Nkape’s journey at the Olympics came to an end after he finished in position seven, clocking 1:45.57 in a repechage round. Ends