Kebinatshipi, the birth of Botswana's global star
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday August 25, 2026 10:00
It is as if the stars align, the wise men from the East arrive bearing gifts and a bright new light suddenly appears on the horizon. In athletics, Botswana may just have witnessed such a moment with the emergence of Busang Collen Kebinatshipi. Like the star that guided the wise men towards Bethlehem, Kebinatshipi’s introduction to the world of athletics has offered a glimpse of something special. Kebinatshipi is a talent capable of illuminating Botswana’s sporting future.
His emergence is not merely about another young athlete taking to the track but about the possibility of a new era, one that could reshape expectations and give the nation another reason to dream.
The wise men recognised that they were witnessing the arrival of something extraordinary. Batswana could be asking themselves the same question, if Kebinatshipi is the star the blue, black and white nation has been waiting for.
His journey is only beginning, but already the signs suggest that this is a story worth following, stride by stride and second by second.
To imagine that almost this time last year Kebinatshipi was still struggling to cement his place amongst the elite highlights the remarkable strides the Botswana star has made in just 11 months.
At the World Championships in Tokyo last September, Kebinatshipi qualified as one of the best-placed athletes outside the automatic top two and was largely regarded as an outsider for a podium finish.
The spotlight, understandably, was on his compatriot Bayapo Ndori, who was widely expected to challenge for a medal. But Kebinatshipi had other plans. In one of the biggest shocks of the championships, he produced a stunning performance to storm to gold.
Since that unforgettable triumph on September 18, 2025, Kebinatshipi has been virtually unstoppable, powering his way from one victory to another across both the 100m and 400m.
What began as the emergence of a promising athlete has quickly developed into the arrival of a star, one whose light is now shining brightly on the global athletics stage.
Botswana should fully appreciate this once-in-a-generation talent, emerging at a time when the country is enjoying its most successful period on the athletics track, a golden era that began 15 years ago when Amantle Montsho was crowned world champion in Daegu.
Since then, the likes of Nijel Amos, Isaac Makwala and Letsile Tebogo, amongst others, have carried the torch with distinction, firmly establishing Botswana as a force to be reckoned with on the global athletics stage.
Thanks to these heroes and heroines, Botswana is no longer a spectator in world athletics but a genuine global participant.
That legacy, however, must be nurtured with care. These athletes deserve to be handled like a priceless egg, protected and supported as they carry the baton forward and inspire the next generation of Botswana stars.