World Relays race against time for certification
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday March 16, 2026 08:59
The venue is undergoing intensive track renovations, which will require certification from World Athletics following completion of works.
By March 28, World Athletics should have certified the stadium, which will be the main competition arena, whilst the UB Stadium will serve as the warm-up track. The Gaborone 26 chief operations officer (COO), Bobby Gaseitsiwe, told MmegiSport that there were minor adjustments that needed to be done in the stadium.
He added that the contractor is fixing the alterations and will accordingly share the measurements with World Athletics. The purpose of the World Athletics Certification System is to ensure compliance with World Athletics requirements for competition surfaces.
This is meant to safeguard the health of the athletes and to guarantee the integrity of the performances in relation to the track and runway surface.
Regarding the handover, Gaseitsiwe said they are happy as the National Stadium track is complete and waiting for the certificate. “The University of Botswana (UB) Stadium is progressing well. It was only last week that the rains delayed the surveyor. He has started marking lanes,” said Gaseitsiwe.
“The National Stadium will soon be used for the Lefika International Relays. Six countries have confirmed participation in order to qualify for the World Athletics Relays. It is in our interest to use the stadium to offer officials an opportunity to officiate,” he added.
When asked about the delays and missing deadlines, he explained that it had nothing to do with preparations as far as the LOC was concerned. Meanwhile, Gaseitsiwe said tickets are selling well, but they can still do more, with the VIP and VVIP tickets in high demand. “The other tickets are moving slowly. We are happy that LOC proposed a students’ package and also for the Under 18, which the World Athletics approved. “I believe this will motivate our future champions to buy and be part of history. There has been great interest from South Africa, Lesotho, and Namibia to be amongst the spectators,” he said. The Relays, which will be the first edition to be held on African soil, are scheduled for May 2 to 3 in Gaborone. Botswana's men’s 4x400m relay team is the world champions after making history at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Team Botswana has started preparations for the competition, with the first phase of the training camp taking place in Francistown from March 9 to 22, after which the camp will move to Gaborone from March 23 to 29.
The move will coincide with participation in the Lefika International Relays. Only athletes who would have satisfied the required three Out-of-Competition doping tests by April 25 will be eligible for the World Relays team. The Lefika Relays competition will test the local team against countries such as Nigeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Poland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, nations that have confirmed their participation.
In the women's 4x100m, the confirmed sides are Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia, whilst in the men's race, there are Botswana, Nigeria, and Zambia, with more nations expected to join the list.
For the 4x100m mixed relay, Botswana, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, and Zambia will be amongst the participating teams.
Botswana, Nigeria and Zambia are confirmed for the men's and women's 4x400m, with Lesotho and Zimbabwe joining the list for the 4x400m mixed relay.