The donation was made yesterday during their send-off ceremony held in Phakalane. The amount is an addition to the existing Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) sponsorship. The team left today (Friday) for the World Athletics Junior Championships to be held in Lima, Peru, from August 27-31. Speaking during the event, Debswana executive head of corporate affairs, Rachel Mothibatsela, said they had the privilege to visit the Under-20 team during training at the National Stadium. “We were impressed by the passion and dedication of each one of you. We were also impressed that the team is diverse, with six men and six women.
The team comprises talent drawn from different corners of Botswana,” she said. Mothibatsela stated that it is not an easy feat to represent Botswana, especially after the recent achievement by the Olympic team. “We have seen the grit it takes to represent this country and it is clear that the bar has been set high. However, I humbly urge you, our junior team to be true to yourselves, to manage pressure while aiming for excellence. Remember, it is the journey that matters not the destination,” she said. Mothibatsela said the time has come for athletes to prove that they are not in the team by chance but have qualified for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships on merit. “As partners with De Beers Botswana and DTC Botswana, we believe that sports development is a great way and contributor to the improvement of livelihoods,” she added. Mothibatsela went on to warn the team against performance-enhancing substances.
