the monitor

Holiday-inducing sprint medals

Some athletes just have a freakish amount of talent. Most of us learn at a young age that we are not those people. The realisation probably came as soon as you were old enough to read social cues and you tried showing off your amazing talents to anyone except your mum.

Most mums are very good parents, but maybe not very good judges of athletic ability. You get all sorts of encouragement and accolades from your mum when you start doing those house Olympics which involve running three metres inside the house without any competition. This past month our athletes – the real ones and not you powering on mum vibes - have not only bagged gold medals at the World Athletics Championships, but also triggered a nationwide identity crisis: Are we a country or a sprinting cult? The Ministry of Sport and Arts has reportedly issued a statement declaring, ‘From now on, all citizens must walk with purpose. Jogging is encouraged. Sprinting is patriotic.’

Our boys didn’t only snatch the gold medals but probably made half the stadium Google “Where is Botswana?” Meanwhile, some countries with better facilities – and less medals - have offered to host a joint training camp—Botswana politely declined, citing ‘we train with thunder.’ This is according to the usual unreliable rumour mill.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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