Mmegi

Gaseitsiwe looks back with pride over 400m success

Talking progress: Gaseitsiwe
Talking progress: Gaseitsiwe

When Bobby Gaseitsiwe was appointed the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) technical officer in 1996, all he wanted was to turn the country into a sprints powerhouse.

The project saw him transverse the length and breadth of the country searching for talent. Gaseitsiwe told MmegiSport that nothing pleases his heart than to see all the hard work bearing fruit through the men’s 4x400m relay team winning a gold medal at the 2024 World Athletics Relays over the weekend.

He said something should be done to have more women run the 400m, adding that the current crop of athletes including Christine Botlogetswe, Lydia Jele and Obakeng Kamberuka is talented, but they need to work extra hard. “During my time as the technical officer at the BAA, also as a trained coach, I realised that Botswana had so much talent across all events but our strongest area was jumps, long sprints being 400m and 800m. Those who were running 100m and 200m were good but the reaction times were too slow and therefore not suitable for those races.

Editor's Comment
Seeking counselling is not sign of weakness

Unfortunately, in this part of the world, it is very rare for individuals to mind their mental health. This does not start today, and sadly, even children with certain mental health challenges get the stick regularly instead of proper diagnosis and professional assistance. Counselling, just like going for physical examinations, is very necessary for general well-being. Many Batswana are dealing with different challenges. These difficulties can...

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