Breathtaking Relay team performance was well planned - Ntshwarang
Calistus Kolantsho | Wednesday September 24, 2025 06:00
The country brought home two gold medals and a bronze, finishing in fifth spot in the Championships. The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) had sent a team of 12 athletes. In honoring the champions, President Duma Boko declared September 29 a public holiday.
Kebinatshipi went into history books by becoming the first man from Botswana to be a World Champion, setting a new National Record (NR) of 43.53, which is the fastest time this season. Reacting to the historical achievement by the relay team, Ntshwarang said they banked on precision. “I knew that Kebinatshipi is a smart runner and I expected him to push until the finish line. The major lessons I picked from the Championships are that anything is possible in a major championship. We need to retain talent for every championship. We can match the world through proper planning,” Ntshwarang said. The lactic acid was burning, Tokyo rain pouring, when it seemed the gold medal was impossible, 21-year-old Busang Collen Kebinatshipi ran a fantastic leg to win the men’s 4x400m relay in 2:57.76. Botswana became the first African country to win the men’s 4x400m relay title. The quartet of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Kebinatshipi proved their mettle in atrocious conditions on Sunday inside Japan National Stadium, edging out the United States and South Africa in a tight finish. The win meant a lot to Olympic champion Tebogo, following his 100m disqualification and a fourth-place finish in the 200m. Tebogo had put Botswana back level with the United States after making up ground on Jacory Patterson on the second leg with a super-fast split of 44.05.
Speaking to the media, Tebogo appreciated the support from the team management, stating that he did not believe in himself when he came into the lane. “When you are used to bringing a medal back home, and that does not happen, you start to doubt yourself if you are good enough. They believed in me, I stepped to the occasion and made them proud. I am happy with my split of 44.05 in that crazy weather,” he said. Ndori said they came with a plan, but it was affected by the bad weather, which they are not used to though they delivered. For his part, Kebinatshipi said he was excited by the performance of the team, they pulled a good performance despite the bad weather, which fortunately did not affect the mood. Other team members, Tshepiso Masalela, finished in position eight in the men’s 800m final with a time of 1:42.77, and Oratile Nowe reached the 800m semi-final, where she settled for position four in a time of 1:58.43. Kethobogile Haingura did not reach the final after a sixth-place finish in 1:46.05. The team is set to arrive in Gaborone on Wednesday.