Fans brace for World Championships humdinger
Mqondisi Dube | Friday September 5, 2025 11:58
Only two athletes, Amantle Montsho and Letsile Tebogo, have made it to the podium at the World Championships, and the current team is eager to change the statistics.
Tebogo is tipped to add to his two medals, a silver and bronze, which he won at the 2023 edition that was held in Budapest, Hungary.
Montsho was the first local athlete to break the deadlock when she delivered a gold medal in the 400m at the 2011 World Championships held in Daegu, South Korea.
The retired female star became Botswana's first world champion and her success triggered a purple patch for the diamond-rich nation, as in 2012, the country won its first Olympic Games medal through Nijel Amos.
At the 2013 World Championships, Montsho landed Botswana's second medal at the competition, with a second-place finish in Moscow.
There was a 10-year dry spell before the emergence of Tebogo in Budapest, where he emerged with a haul of two medals: silver and bronze.
Tebogo will make his second appearance at the World Championships, where his rivalry with the United States of America star, Noah Lyles, is sure to grab the headlines in Tokyo.
The world will witness athletics' relatively new rival in both the 100m and 200m, although Tebogo looks more of a threat in the half lap than the shorter sprint.
The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) has named a strong team that left recently for a training camp in South Korea, before crossing over to Japan for the competition, which runs from September 13 to 21.
Lee Eppie is growing in leaps and bounds and is surrounded by the experienced Collen Kebinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori, two athletes who have been tried and tested in the 400m race.
Tshepiso Masalela has been relatively steady on the international circuit and is joined by Kethobogile Haingura in the 800m, whilst Victor Ntweng and Kemorena Tisang will make their 400m hurdles debut.
Zibani Ngozi, Justice Oratile and Leungo Scotch make up the members of the 4x400m relay team that will be fortified by the presence of Eppie, Kebinatshipi, Ndoro, and Tebogo.
The relay team is amongst the favourites for a medal in Tokyo after an impressive silver medal showing at last year's Olympic Games.
Oratile Nowe, whose star is on the rise, is the only female athlete in the team and will represent the country in the 800m, where she is ranked 14th in the world.