07 Jun 2025

 The state of the National Stadium track needs to be improved for the coming World Relays slated for May in Gaborone, this according World Athletics delegation which arrived in Botswana on Tuesday for a site visit.

World Athletics head of competitions, Pierce O’Callaghan, said during a visit he undertook in Botswana some two years ago, the track was in a good state and suitable for the track competition but with the resurfacing that was done this year, prior to the Botswana Golden Grand Prix (BGGP), it would need to be refined.“I think it was not finished, so I think they will have to resurface it again and be certified for the World Relays,” he said.Botswana National Sport Commission, acting chief executive officer, Makuke Makuke said the track was not fully completed during the BGGP.“We managed to make the track ready for the BGGP but there were works that need to be done, and we are starting that process,” he said.Makuke said they were currently waiting for the machine that they had ordered from Germany, adding that the machine would be used to grind the blue layer.He said at the time the skipped a certain layer, adding that had they done that layer at a time, the BGGP was not going to take place.

“The layer I am taking about takes at least seven days minimum to cure before you can put another layer, at that time because we had time constraints, we skipped that layer, so we are going down to fix that,” he said.Makuke said the track had already changed from its original colour due to the fact that it was laid under inclement weather.“So we will grind down the blue, re-do and re-mark and certify the track to meet the world athletics standard,” he said.

Furthermore, Makuke said they would start with the works once the machine arrives, adding that he was confident that by weekend the contractor would be on the site.“The programme shows that