27 Apr 2026

While the spotlight of the athletic world remains fixed on Botswana’s decorated 4x400m giants, a quiet storm is brewing in the shorter sprints as the Debswana World Athletics Relays approach.

The men’s 4x100m relay team is no longer content with being the other squad. Instead, they are a hungry collective of speedsters ready to use the roar of a home crowd to shatter their medal-less international history and shock the world on home soil during the Relays, scheduled for May 2-3.

They may lack the hardware of their 400m brothers, but the men’s 4x100m relay team possesses a lethal weapon, raw and blistering speed.

With a roster boasting the likes of Letsile Tebogo and Prince Selepe, athletes capable of dipping deep into the 10-second bracket, the team is a dark horse ready to emerge from the shadows.

In 2015, the 4x400m team sat in eighth place at the World Championships. Today, they are Olympic champions. 

It is this blueprint of ascent that fuels the fire for the 4x100m squad. Carrying the weight of a nation that has never seen them medal on the global stage, this young team believes that if their 4x400m counterparts could climb the mountain, it is finally their turn to reach the peak.

The 4x100m tentative squad comprises Tebogo, Selepe, Kevin Lobatlamang, Jayson Mandoze, Thuto Masasa, Thapelo Monaiwa, Calvin Omphile and Xolani Talane.

While the nation waits with bated breath to see the final selection, Tebogo and Selepe are virtual locks for the team based on their current times. Should the event schedule permit, coaches may also include Collen Kebinatshipi for the finals.

However, for the team to achieve a podium finish, technical precision is non-negotiable. Success will hinge on mastering the baton exchange, particularly knowing exactly where and when to hand over.

However, the nation can take solace in the fact that coaches are currently fine-tuning these exchanges, a technical hurdle that had continued to plague, not just Botswana, but many top-tier sprinting nations.

In an interview, former Botswana relay team member, Onkabetse Nkobolo, expressed confidence in the current line-up’s potential.

“Some of them have low 10 seconds and that alone is a bonus for our team. So, I think for the first time, they will shock the world,” Nkobolo said. He noted that while they were up against global powerhouses, athletes must remain mentally composed to reach the finals. 

He emphasised that the goal was to focus and enjoy the race.

“To be honest if they make it to the finals, I will be happy. Remember, they have never brought a medal home from international competition, so I think this is their time,” he said. ends