Botswana won the title last year, powered by the quartet of Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, Collen Kebinatshipi, and Scotch. But Scotch will be the sole survivor from the winning team after the shock withdrawal of Tebogo, Ndori, and Kebinatshipi. Team Botswana is in Guangzhou for the seventh edition of the World Relays that runs from Saturday to Sunday. The team will compete in the men's 4x400m, the women's 4x400m, the men's 4x100m, and the mixed 4x400m race. New national heroes could emerge from the 2025 World Athletics Relays following the withdrawal of the trio. The sprinters withdrew from the team earlier this week citing unfulfilled promises from the local mother body, the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA). This leaves Scotch to bear the burden of inspiring a new crop to victory. Alongside the absent trio, Scotch delivered Botswana's first-ever win at the World Athletics Relays.
Botswana is currently ranked second in the world in the men's 4x400m and local fans would be fancying their chances despite the absence of the country's leading sprinters over one lap. Scotch has been running at his near-best, recording the season's fastest time of 45.36s making it to a 62nd ranking in the world. He has run in every elite athletics competition and Scotch would be carrying the nation's hopes in China. Lee Eppie could join Scotch ahead of their first round qualifying race at 7pm tomorrow. Eppie enters the fray ranked 66th in the world this year. The 25-year-old clocked this fastest time this year with a 45.20 earlier in March. He sat on the reserves at last year's edition and the 2024 Olympics Games, and he could step-up in Guangzhou. In 2023, Eppie was part of the team that clocked 3:04.49, which is slower than the winning 2:54.53 in 2024. Other than Eppie, 400m hurdler, Victor Ntweng could be called up for the flat sprint. Ntweng is a seasoned competitor but is yet to break into the global sphere. He is a one-time African champion and is ranked 25th in the men's 400m hurdles in the world at the moment. The 29-year-old's fastest time this year in the 400m is 45.77s clocked in April.
