The refurbishment is part of the preparations to host the 2026 World Athletics Relays. A new track was installed to the tune of P16.1 million in April as part of preparations for the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix. According to an insider, when the National Stadium track project was underway, the top layer material was only available in China hence, the Chinese contractor came into the picture. “The local contractor did the second layer, and when we brought the top layer material from China, they did not want to use nor certify it. So, because of time issues on the government side, we had to incur costs of bringing in the Chinese to put the top layer. But we skipped some processes. World Athletics also compromised to certify the track in order for the Grand Prix to happen,” the source said. The official added that the BNSC has now brought the initial contractor to do the new track, using material from Turkey. “They will start by removing the top layer and installing their own layer. But the bottom layer remains. The track is expected to be completed in September.
The National Stadium will then be handed over to World Athletics to prepare for Relays 2026,” the source said. The source said it means the BNSC will pay an extra cost for a track project that was recently worked on, and it is an assignment that must be carried out to ensure the track meets international standards. The government has earmarked the University of Botswana (UB) as the warm-up track, which means it will also be refurbished. The cost of the project is expected to be between P15 million and P20 million. “The Ministry of Sport and Arts has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UB, which means that having a World Athletics-certified track, it will be a legacy for athletics. If UB is used for training, it means we can protect the quality of the National Stadium track. We do not have time or funds to construct a new warm up track,” the source added.
