The World Athletics Council awarded the right to host the World Athletics Relays to Botswana, and the competition will be held on May 2 to 3, 2026. Speaking to MmegiSport, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) vice chairperson, Oabona Theetso, said the funding will come from World Athletics, Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), the private sector, whilst the largest chunk of the budget will be from the Government of Botswana. Theetso said that whilst he has the budget breakdown, he was not at liberty to share it. Some of the major projects that are expected to use most of the funding are the refurbishment of the University of Botswana (UB) stadium, which will be the warm-up area, and the National Stadium, the competition facility.
The National Stadium has since been closed, with the renovation project expected to be completed by September. The track was recently relaid, and the refurbishment is necessary to ensure it meets international standards for the World Athletics Relays. Theetso said a team from World Athletics would be in Gaborone to tour some facilities as preparations for the world event gather pace. “World Athletics (WA) will be here from Tuesday until Thursday. They will visit the stadium, hotels, hospitals, and immigration entry points. The relays are for Batswana, and as such, we must all play our part. Together we can,” Theetso said.
