The sprint sensation walked away as the richest awards recipient after pocketing P100, 000 for the Sportsperson of the Year award sponsored by Debswana Mining Company. He also banked P75, 000 for Sportsman of the Year sponsored by Orange Botswana. The two awards follow his stellar performance during the 2024 season where he made history by winning the 200m final at the Paris Olympics, earning the first-ever gold medal for Botswana with 19.46s time. He also powered the men’s 4x400m relay team to an Olympic silver medal, which saw the team walking away with Team of the Year award. Tebogo said these are the results of teamwork and dedication. He dedicated the award to team D.O.C and Rosa Associate Management. He said without their support, the Olympic achievements were impossible. Tebogo also dedicated the award to his late mother, Seratiwa. Tebogo’s mother was always his biggest supporter and he dedicated his 200m victory at the Olympics by wearing shoes inscribed with her birth date and initials.
However, it was also a night to remember for the Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) as they walked away with four awards, Junior Sportswoman of the Year (Malak Macheng), Junior Sportsman of the Year (Ntungamile Raguin), Umpire/Referee of the Year (Gaone Poane). Malak Macheng was also voted as the Public Athlete of the Year while Women and Sport Botswana (WASBO) also recognized Poane with an award. Speaking to SportMonitor, the BTA president, Oaitse Thipe, said the awards are an indication that investment in development can pay off and also hosting international tennis tournaments. Upon assuming office, Thipe has always advocated for player development and called for Botswana to introduce a model similar to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCA) in the United States of America (USA). He even proposed for the country to partner with some Colleges in the USA. Poane became the first Motswana woman to earn a White badge umpire and referee. She officiated at the Olympics and the Grand Slam. She said the two awards came as a surprise.
