14 Apr 2026

First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) is the title sponsor for the Botswana Golden Grand Prix (BGGP). FNBB will inject P6million for the meet scheduled for the  April 16 in Gaborone. 

Despite having been relegated to Silver status, the event is expected to attract a reasonable number of the world top athletes, more so that some athletes will use the event to acclimatise for the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26.

Speaking at the sponsorship launch on Monday, Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng said FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix will serve as a test event for the World Athletics Relays, which Botswana will host on May 02-03.

Kelebeng said the event provide an opportunity to demonstrate Botswana’s readiness to deliver world class events with excellence and professionalism.

Kelebeng said partnerships of such nature do a lot to anchor sport, strengthen its credibility and give it room to grow.

He said FNBB’s investment was not only financial, but equally an expression of confidence in the talent, ambition and potential of Batswana.

“For us as government, this partnership reinforces our mission to develop sport as a pathway for opportunity, pride and national progress. 

For the organisers, it provides the foundation required to deliver an event that meets global standards. For the nation, it is a moment to rally behind a project that unites us and showcases our capabilities to the world,” he said.

Kelebeng said beyond the track, the effects of the Grand Prix extended into the broader economy, because hosting an event of this magnitude stimulates economic activity, creates opportunities for local businesses, and boosts sectors such as tourism, hospitality, creative industries, transport and services.

He added that ordinary Batswana benefit, directly and indirectly, from the success of the event, adding that it was an affirmation that sport was not only about medals but also served as a driver of development.

FNBB, Chief Executive Officer, Steven Bogatsu said Botswana was living through a defining sporting era given that athletes has changed how the world sees the country.

He said they had shown that excellence could rise from schools, communities and national discipline, and athletes have also given young people something of priceless proof, that global greatness could wear Botswana’s colours.

“Proof that the world can come to Gaborone when the standard is high enough. Proof that sport is not peripheral to national development; it is part of it,” he said.

In that regard, Bogatsu said FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix was one of the clearest expressions of the new era.

“Under the leadership of Glody Dube and with the commitment of partners across the sporting ecosystem, this event has grown into far more than a competition,” he said.

Bogatsu said the event was now a platform of national significance, as it tells the world that Botswana could convene elite sport, inspire local talent and convert athletic excellence into broader economic and social value.

Furthermore, he said it demonstrates that the nation could host with confidence, organise with professionalism and compete with credibility. ENDS