06 Aug 2026

Botswana’s emerging track sensation, Wazha Matakule, has captured the attention of the athletics community after advancing to the men’s 100m final at the ongoing World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Matakule is expected to line up against the world’s best junior sprinters today in what promises to be a mouth-watering final.

His road to the final has been a showcase of determination and resilience as he navigated the heats. In round one, he crossed the line in third position, stopping the clock at a Personal Best time of 10.39 seconds to secure automatic qualification into the semi-finals.

However, it was during the wee hours of Thursday morning, while the rest of Botswana was fast asleep, that the young athlete left an indelible mark on the international stage.

Running from lane nine, a position traditionally tough for sprinters due to being a blind spot, Matakule executed a flawless race. He finished third, obliterating his previous mark to set a new Personal Best of 10.28 seconds.

The performance earned Matakule a place among the eight fastest junior sprinters in the world. In an interview, national team coach, Nico Manyapedza was happy with the athlete’s progression through the rounds, noting that setting two consecutive personal bests on the global stage had bolstered the young runner’s confidence. “He is very confident right now. A final is open for anyone to take and we are eager to see how he approaches the race, but we are absolutely on the right track,” Manyapedza said.

He added that the technical bench was also happy with Matakule’s mental and physical condition, highlighting that dropping his time to 10.28 seconds from an unfavourable outer lane spoke volumes about his tactical maturity and perseverance.

Following the 100m final, Team Botswana will swiftly turn its attention to the 200m events tomorrow.

In the women’s category, junior sensation, Same Mhutsiwa will settle into the starting blocks for the 200m round-one heats, looking to showcase the explosive mechanics that earned her a spot on the national team.

She will be followed by Matakule, who pulls double duty on the track alongside teammate Jack Newman in the men’s 200m opening round. Both local athletes will be aiming to advance to the subsequent rounds of the global competition. ENDS