BAA vice president-administration, Oabona Theetso told MmegiSport that they made an online presentation to the World Athletics Council and Bid Committee. Some of the Bid Committee members were scheduled to travel to Gaborone to inspect facilities. “The budget presentation was yesterday and the final presentation is on Monday (March 10), which will be followed by a visit to inspect facilities,” he said. Theetso said the idea behind bidding for the relays is for the world to see where track athletes such as Letsile Tebogo, Nijel Amos, Amantle Montsho, and Isaac Makwala originate. He said the event would also afford Batswana an opportunity to enjoy athletics as the code has a lot of following. The first batch of the presentation covered crucial measures and Botswana’s preparedness to host the relays. It addressed issues of safety, visa entry arrangement, risk mitigation, protection of rights of World Athletics, sponsors, partners, and participants. Other issues covered during the presentation included integrity, compliance, dignity, equality, sustainability, safeguarding, gender diversity, and infrastructure. The BAA bid team was led by Moses Bantsi accompanied by Pinkie Wilson, Larona Koosimile, Donald Steady, and Amogelang Masalela.
The presentation was attended by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Arts, Nancy Chengeta, Moreetsi Bogosi (director of sports), and Tebogo Ntesang (principal programmes officer 1-sport and recreation). The Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) board chairperson Tebogo Lebotse-Sebego, BNSC CEO Tuelo Serufho, Stephen Makuke, the director-business development and property management services, and Peaceful Seleka, the director-sport development, were part of the presentation. The 2025 World Athletics Relays will take place in Guangzhou, China, on May 10-11. It will be the seventh edition of the World Athletics Relays, with Guangzhou welcoming the world’s best sprinters as countries compete for relay places at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. Botswana's 4x400m team, which won the title last year, will take part at the event. Meanwhile, another African country, Kenya is attempting to host the World Athletics. The East African nation has officially applied to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, after failing to seal the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
