When empty stands greet athletics' defining moments
Mqondisi Dube | Monday April 13, 2026 06:00
Inside the 25,000-seater facility, a historic moment was brewing on a Good Friday during the Orange Botswana Athletics National Championships. However, on the witness stand, there were a few local spectators.
One of Botswana's standout athletes, Kebinatshipi, was about to set the track alight. Shifting from his favoured 400m, which gifted him and the nation a 400m gold and world champion title during last year's World Championships, Kebinatshipi lined up in the 100m.
Other than those who have worked closely with him, including his coach, Chilume 'Chippa' Ntshwarang, nothing out of the ordinary was expected from Kebinatshipi, the 22-year-old who burst to world prominence in Tokyo, Japan.
After all, he was running 'out of position' in the 100m instead of the 400m that propelled him to stardom.
But the Lotlhakane East native did not waste time with a belligerent World Lead of 9.89 secs in the heat. To prove it was not a fluke, Kebinatshipi powered to the finish line in a similar time in the final, in the process nestling in the record books.
The athlete became only the fourth man to run sub 44 seconds in the 400m and under 10 seconds in the 100m. Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo, was due to line up in the 100m, but the sparse crowd was given a raw deal as the 200m specialist pulled out at the last minute due to an injury.
However, Tebogo's absence did not take the shine off Kebinatshipi, who made headlines once again as he prepares for another busy year.
But whilst Botswana athletes continue to perform, there has been no pulling power compared to other codes, such as football. Athletics has emerged as Botswana's top sport, regularly producing prodigious talent, but the status quo remains.
Football matches continue to pull the crowds, despite the thrill that athletics offers. The empty stands at the National Stadium stood as a concerning testimony of a nation that needs a mindset shift.
It is athletics that is bringing the biggest sporting event the country has ever hosted since independence, the World Relays, and it is athletics that landed Botswana its first medal at the Olympics.
The hosting of the World Relays, the upcoming FNB Botswana Grand Prix and athletes regular success on the international stage, could galvanise a paradigm shift which will reflect athletics true podium standing as Botswana's leading code.