28 Aug 2026

Italy is in for a treat this Sunday as Botswana’s track royalty heads to the Banca Valsabbina Grand Prix Brescia. 

Gold-medal poster boy, Letsile Tebogo and one-lap specialist, Bayapo Ndori are set to light up the men’s 400m field and line up against a stacked roster that includes American power, Vernon Norwood, Grenadian icon, Kirani James, Australia’s Reece Holder and France’s Muhammad Kounta.

For Tebogo, stepping up to the 400m is not a pivot but a calculated detour. 

Ahead of next month’s inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, the short-sprint phenom is deliberately hunting down lactic acid. 

Stretching his range to the quarter-mile is all about building speed endurance and expanding his physical engine to ensure that when he hits the home stretch in his primary events, his explosive top-end speed does not fade.

On one hand, Ndori’s mission, is about recalibration. Fresh off a stint on the sidelines recovering from an injury, the Italian meeting serves as a vital diagnostic test. 

Stepping onto the track against world-class heat will give him clear benchmark for his healing process and tactical sharpness as he works his way back to peak form.

In an interview, Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) sport development manager - technical, Patrick Moesi said the federation was highly encouraged by the elite athletes stepping onto the track and delivering positive results.

Moesi said that had made a significant surge in interest among children eager to participate in track and field events nationwide.

He attributed the grassroots sports boom to the stellar performances of elite athletes on the international stage, which he said inspired the younger generation.

He added that the momentum built by senior competitors was successfully trickling down to the foundational levels of the sport, adding the influx of youth talent was expected to strengthen BAA’s development pipeline as the federation continued its drive to build sustainable squad depth across all regional structures. ENDS