Athletes returning empty handed no longer part of Botswana’s DNA

Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday August 11, 2026 10:11

From 2000, when Glody Dube’s run marked a significant shift, hope has been replaced by expectation. It only got elevated when the nation got to taste the first significant drop of blood in 2011 when Amantle Montsho became a world champion in the 400m. The bar had been raised so high and the expectations were duly met. In 2012, Nijel Amos brought home Botswana’s first Olympic Games medal and the floodgates of successes had truly been swung wide open. The successes of Isaac Makwala, Letsile Tebogo and Collen Kebinatshipi, further accelerated expectations. If Botswana sends an athletics team to an international competition, it is therefore, a foregone conclusion that somewhere along the line, a blue, black and white flag would find its way onto the medal podium. The nation has been so spoilt such that nothing short of gold in certain events is considered a failure.

Take Tebogo’s recent second place finish in the 200m during a Diamond League race for instance. He faced criticism from social media critics, and its all down to the high levels expected from the local athletes. But at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the World Junior Champions held in Oregon, the expectation took a slight bruise. Botswana returned from Glasgow and Oregon without a medal. Harsh as it sounds, for a country that has built an impressive athletics reputation over the past decade, this is represents a downgrade. Botswana has talent in abundance but there appears a serious disconnect between what is regarded as genuine global talent and potential. The likes of Kebinatshipi, Bayapo Ndori and Kebinatshipi sat out the Commonwealth Games as their profile has rightly outgrown the competition.

Their absence was telling, leading to the Botswana team returning home empty handed. The difference between a promising athlete and a global medallist is often found in the details. Makwala recently took to social media, chastising the sport leadership for failure to prepare the team adequately. Countries that consistently produce champions do not leave critical detail to chance. Botswana has enjoyed a remarkable generation of athletes but these athletes should not become monuments to what the nation once achieved.

Their greatest legacy should be the system they leave behind. Winning medals has become part of Botswana’s DNA and that should continue in a sustainable manner. What authorities should remember is that yesterday's medals cannot protect tomorrow's legacy. What happened in Oregon and Glasgow could represent warning signs of the gaps that exist and could persist post the glory days of the current trailblazing crop.