06 Oct 2025

The Ministry of Sport and Arts is committed to ensuring that both sport and arts become economic engines that drive the economy and increase Botswana’s global footprint.

Minister of Sport and Arts Jacob Kelebeng said the exploits of Team Botswana at the World Championships were a prelude of what the nation would experience in the future, and that his ministry would do its utmost to ensure that Botswana continues to excel in sport and arts on the global stage.

Minister Kelebeng was speaking at a dinner hosted by President Advocate Duma Boko for Team Botswana on Thursday, an occasion that he said highlighted The President’s personal commitment towards the development of sport and that of young people.

He said Advocate Boko’s gesture of recognising athletes was appreciated not only by the sporting fraternity but also by the entire nation, and that it would send a strong message to the nation and its young people that indeed the country valued, recognised and appreciated talent.

“Mr President, we know you have been one of the biggest supporters of Team Botswana during the championships. Your passion and indeed your love for this team was evident throughout the competition,” he said.

Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) acting president Oabona Theetso thanked government for supporting BAA during the world championships preparations.

Theetso said Botswana has positioned itself as one of the strongest countries in athletics, something that he said the country had repeatedly demonstrated that in the past.

He said in 2022, Letsile Tebogo broke a long-standing 100 metres record in the Under 20 category.

The same athlete won the first 200 metres gold for Africa at the Olympics and the 4 x 400 metres relay team won a silver medal, he said.

“We thought that was the baseline but we surpassed it and brought home two gold medals by Collen Kebinatshipi in 400 metres and the 4 x 400 men’s relay team and a bronze medal by Bayapo Ndori in the 400 metres as well,” he said.

Theetso said the country should be prepared to receive a lot of people across the globe for the 2026 World Relays that would be hosted in Gaborone in May.

“People are asking themselves questions. They wonder where Botswana is located, and what it is that the country is doing differently to the extent that it canbeat a powerhouse such as the USA’s 4 x 400 metres men’s team,” he said, noting that Botswana’s win had evoked a lot of interest in the country.

Theetso said as the country prepares to receive the world, there was a need that the relevant infrastructure, especially training facilities were brought up to standard. ENDs