Glory to Glody!
Monday, March 20, 2023 | 100 Views |
Here we are talking about the crème-la-de-crème of world athletics coming to Gaborone. It is the first time fans will get to see these stars on Botswana soil in a once-in-a-while experience and it’s all thanks to largely the efforts of one man; GLODY DUBE (no relation to yours truly). Dube’s perseverance has landed Botswana one of the biggest events in the global athletics calendar.
He started relatively small with what was known as the Gaborone International Meet (GIM). Doubting Thomases obviously did not see much value in the event. Initially, the event struggled to attract top athletes, relying on the pulling power of regional and local stars like Isaac Makwala. But Dube did not give up, for he and his team, including our very own Calistus Kolantsho, had a vision. I personally witnessed Kolantsho’s everyday sacrifices when it was not fashionable to be associated with the event.
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...