24 Aug 2026

With school sports suspended and Botswana’s traditional talent pipeline disrupted, two of the country’s celebrated athletics icons are taking on an unexpected role to help to rebuild grassroots sport from the ground up.

Olympic stars, Nijel Amos and Amantle Montsho, are among a growing number of former elite athletes turning their experience and influence towards developing the next generation by establishing private athletics initiatives to keep young talent training, competing and dreaming.

The ongoing suspension of school sports has dealt a severe blow to talent development across the country. 

At the forefront of this movement is the Tatamilawoloto Academy, a track and field project spearheaded by Botswana’s athletics icons, Amos and Montsho.

For Amos, the transition from world-class athlete to coach has been driven by a desire to give back to the country that supported him throughout his career. After retiring from professional athletics, he turned his attention to mentorship, recognising a growing gap in opportunities for young athletes to train and compete.

There is little doubt that private initiatives are increasingly carrying the weight of grassroots athletics development and the rapid growth of the academy’s competitive platform, the United Youth Athletics League, is evidence of the demand.

When the league debuted in April, it attracted about 180 athletes. By Saturday, participation had grown to around 500 competitors.

“That alone shows there is growth and the need for young athletes to compete. The academy is a long-term project,” says Amos.

The initiative extends beyond regular training. Through the United Youth Athletics League, Amos has created a competitive platform designed to give young athletes opportunities to test themselves, with registration open to academies from across the world. He observes that while new athletics academies are emerging across the region, many lack an important component: meaningful competition.

After training, athletes need opportunities to test their progress against others and that is where the league fits in.

The league caters for young athletes aged nine to 18, providing an inclusive platform that reaches beyond the limitations of traditional school sports.

He says school sports traditionally cater mainly for athletes enrolled in government schools, leaving out children attending private institutions or those who are temporarily outside the formal education system.

“With our league, whether a child is out of school or attends a private institution, they are welcomed,” he adds.

By opening access to competition and creating alternative pathways for young athletes, Tatamilawoloto is demonstrating how Botswana’s athletics community can mobilise its own resources and expertise to keep the country’s talent pipeline alive. ENDS