25 Aug 2026

For some athletes, success is measured by medals and international appearances. 

For others, the true measure of achievement is what they do with their experience to create opportunities for those coming behind them.

This was the message at the Future Champions Summit where local sporting stars, among them tennis player, Malak Macheng and swimmer Melodi Saleshando, shared their journeys and encouraged young Batswana to see sport as a pathway to discipline, confidence, education and opportunity.

Held in Gaborone on Saturday under the Malak Gives Back initiative, the summit sought to inspire the next generation of athletes by demonstrating how individual sporting journeys can contribute to broader national development.

For Macheng, the journey to competitive tennis began modestly when friends invited her to try the sport. What started as casual weekend rallies developed into a passion and eventually led her to represent Botswana on international courts.

Her recent qualification for the African Regional Training Centre (ARTC) in Tunisia marked another significant milestone in her career and placed her among athletes gaining international exposure. However, Macheng said personal achievements should not be the end goal. Through Malak Gives Back, she is using her experience to help create opportunities for other young athletes. She encouraged aspiring athletes to start with what was available to them, embrace opportunities and remain committed even when the journey became difficult.

Having benefited from opportunities created through sport, Macheng is now focused on helping others follow a similar path.

For Saleshando, her journey began for a very different reason. She initially learned to swim as a basic life skill but  soon developed into a passion for competitive sport.

She said the sport had exposed her to international competition while helping shape her character and resilience. 

Saleshando encouraged young people particularly girls, to confront fear and self-doubt and to believe in their ability to achieve their aspirations. 

Through initiatives such as Malak Gives Back, Macheng and Saleshando are using their experiences to create pathways for the next generation and helping to build a stronger foundation for the country’s sporting future. ends