25 Apr 2026

Botswana Athletics Coach, Justice Dipeba has emphasised the importance of technical accuracy in athletics reporting.

Addressing Department of Information Services reporters and photographers during a workshop on reporting athletics facilitated by Botswana Athletics Association officials, Dipeba cautioned against common errors, such as incorrectly recording measurements or times, which could mislead audiences and undermine credibility.

He emphasised the need for reporters to understand the technical aspects of the sport, including proper time formats, record classifications, and the role of wind readings in events like the 100m and 200m.

“You must tell the story behind the time. Help the audience understand how significant that performance is,” he said.

He added that knowledge of distinctions between records such as world records, Olympic records, championship records, and national records was essential for credible reporting.

Coach Dipeba further encouraged journalists to be well-prepared by researching athletes in advance, including their personal bests, national records, and historical performances, to produce richer and more engaging stories.

“Be creative and innovative. Show your audience that you know more about the event than anyone else. That is how you sell your story,” he said.

Department of Information Services acting director, Thebeyame Ramoroka challenged reporters to position themselves at the forefront of reporting athletics, emphasising speed, accuracy and storytelling as key pillars of excellence.

Ramoroka said reporters must strive not to just cover events, but should also be the first in breaking news.

He encouraged reporters to go beyond providing basic results.

Instead, he encouraged them to capture the full atmosphere of sporting events.

“In sports reporting, you do not just give results you give the mood, the atmosphere, and everything around the arena,” he said.

He urged reporters to enrich their stories with features, statistics, profiles, and analysis to help audiences better understand athletes and competitions.

According to him, such depth could even inspire people who were not initially interested in athletics to engage with the sport.

“The way you write can take people to the stadium. It can even fill the stadium,” he said, commending reporters for their recent coverage of athletes arriving for the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone.

Ramoroka further stressed that strong reporting made the work of editors easier, pointing out that accuracy, integrity, and passion were essential qualities of a successful journalist.

The workshop was part of the department’s way of preparing the reporters and photographers for the upcoming Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26.

And Ramoroka expressed confidence in his team’s ability to rise to the challenge and deliver timely and impactful coverage.

“We are going to be the first. Despite global broadcasts, we will bring the news first and even go beyond what cameras capture telling the stories behind the scenes,” he said. ENDS