Flying Scotch lands at the top
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday November 27, 2020 13:47
Leungo Scotch hogged the limelight during the 40th edition of the Botswana Sport Awards held in Gaborone last Saturday.
Scotch pocketed more than P100,000, his fattest cheque to date.
He was lost for words when he climbed to the podium to claim the coveted award sponsored by Debswana Mining Company. Scotch won three awards on the night.
He was part of the men’s 4x400m relay team that won Team of the Year award. He was also named the Sportsman of the Year.
Born 24 years ago at Kareng village, just outside Maun, Scotch had to quickly adapt to life’s challenges, as he had to fend for his family at an early age. He had interest in playing football, but soon shifted to the track. “I did my primary education in my village from 2005 until 2011 and proceeded for Junior Certificate at Ngami Junior Secondary School in Sehithwa in 2012 up to 2014. I met my first coach, Innocent Sibanda when I was doing Form Two through the talent identification programme,” he said. When he was in Form Three, Scotch qualified for the 2014 World Junior Championships held in the United States of America after running sub-46. He was also part of the 4x400m relay team that brought home a bronze medal.
Scotch moved to Maun Secondary School for his Form Four, where he was coached by, amongst others, Meleko Ndolo.
The 400 metres specialist proved that he is one of the fastest in the country when he scooped a gold medal at the 2018 Gaborone International Meet (GIM). The achievement earned him a place in the national team. “I made my debut at the Africa Games last year in Morocco. During the competition I was in touch with Ndolo and he told me that I was ready for a medal and all I had to do was to do my best. I followed his advice and won a gold medal,” said the Maun BDF Athletics Club runner.
He also took part in the World Championships held in Doha, Qatar last year.
“I am someone who has a strong heart and that is one thing that is needed for a big stage like World Championships. If you look at it,
I had swallowed before chewing. What I mean is that I made it to the big stage after a few successes. So I had to dig deep to try and cover for lack of experience,” he said.
He did well for a debutant as he exited the competition at semi final level. Scotch said he was fortunate as his national team coach, Kebonyemodisa Mosimanyane is also based in Maun and they are able to work together all the time. For his part, former coach, Ndolo said when Scotch went to Doha, he knew that the athlete was not ready for anything big. “World Championships are big and there is need for a lot of experience. Winning Botswana Sport Awards is a massive opportunity for him. It was a joyous moment when he told me about his achievements. The win would also boost his confidence in the coming season,” Ndolo said.
FACT FILE
Full names: Leungo Scotch
Date of birth: February 28, 1996
Place of birth: Kareng
Discipline: Athletics (400m)
Club: Maun BDF
Achievements: 2019 Africa Games gold medal, 2019 World Championships semi-finalist, 2019 Southern senior championships gold medal and 4x400m men’s relay gold at Africa Games, 2020 Botswana Sportsman & Sportsperson of the Year
Role model: LaShawn Merrit
Hobbies: Swimming
Favourite dish: Papa and seswaa