TEAM BOTSWANA SENDS A STRONG SQUAD TO OREGON 2022

BY: Katlego Mechidi

Botswana Athletics Association(BAA) held a sendoff ceremony this week, for a strong Team Botswana that will represent the country at the forthcoming World Athletics Championships to be held in Oregon in the United States of America (USA) from the 15^th to the 24^th of July 2022.

The team left immediately after the sendoff press conference held at the Athletics Village in Gaborone yesterday. The team is now headed for Eugene, the USA where they will undergo a training camp before heading to the championships in Oregon starting on the 15^th of July 2022.

• Team Botswana comprises nine athletes
• Tlhalosang Tshireletso is the only  field event participant
• Hurdle star Maitseo Keitumetse will form part of the relay
• All eyes on Letsile Tebogo

TEAM BOTSWANA IS MADE UP OF;

 

ISAAC MAKWALA (200m, 400m, 4X400m)

The veteran 400m specialist has been seeing dust in the Diamond League with many of his fans calling for his retirement but came back to the winning ways lately scooping the first position at the Resisprint International in La-Chaux-de-Fonts clocking a season-best of 45.03s. Makwala qualified for the 400m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after impressively winning his heat with a time of 44.86s.

As for the  200m race, Makwala qualified for the Championships at the Kip Keino Classic World Tour held in Nairobi last year after scooping position two with a season-best time of 20.05s. Makwala is the most experienced athlete on Team Botswana.

NIJEL AMOS (800m)

The Marobela-born sprinter who became the first Motswana athlete to bring home an Olympic medal during the 2012 London Olympics will be home during the championships as he is currently based in Oregon, having failed to perform to his high-level status in major competitions since his historic feat in 2012, it remains to be seen if he will break the curse.

In these competitions in 2015, he failed to qualify for the semifinals after clocking 1.47.36 despite having run 1.42.66 a month before, in 2017 he finished fifth in the final with a time of 1.45.86 having run 1..43.18 a month before, and in 2019 pulled out due to Achilles injury having run 1.41.89 two months before.

Nijel is now getting into the championships having scooped the second position with a time of 1.45.66 at Rabat Diamond League last month.

LETSILE TEBOGO (100m)

Every time he pulls off the unthinkable, the 2021 sportsman of the year who has made breaking records his daily bread goes to the World Championships in fine form.

The talented Letsile recently pulled off a remarkable performance in 100m during the Gaborone International Meet(GIM) running sub-10 with a time of 9.96s breaking his own record and setting a new 100m record.

Having been the first athlete from Botswana to win 100m gold in a major international event at the World under 20 Championships, he is looking to add to his tally this time around with the seniors as Team Botswana remains hopeful for a gold.

BAYAPO NDORI (400m, 4X400m relay)

Ndori came to fame at the Tokyo Olympics where he made a massive debut helping Botswana get its second medal after Nijel Amos. The 23-year-old started off the season on a high note as he has been bettering his performance in every competition, during the third edition of BAA track and field events he clocked the 2022 world-leading time of 45.05s.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medalist went to qualify for the World Championships two months later after clocking 44.88s at the ASA Athletics Grand Prix Series in Potchefstroom, South Africa. He also bagged silver in the 400m race at African Championships last month.

Recently he was part of the 4 X 400m relay team which attained gold at the African Championships at Mauritius last month.

ANTHONY PESELA (400m, 4X400m relay)

The 20-year-old Pesela who was part of the team which took a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is destined for greatness and so far he has been consistent in his performances clocking good times. He qualified for the Championships at the World U20 Championships held in Kenya where he won Gold after clocking 44.58s setting the new Championship record. Still, at the U20 Championships, he was part of the 4X400m relay team which bagged gold in the process clocking a world-leading time of 3.05.22.

Recently he was part of the 4X400m relay team which attained gold at the African Championships at Mauritius last month.

THALOSANG TSHIRELETSO (Long Jump)

The University of Botswana Athletics Club star has so far had a fruitful season having recorded numerous impressive results, in a country where the track is dominating, the 31 years leaped his way into the history books by qualifying for the upcoming World Championships.

His 7.82m Tshireletso qualified by the virtue of being the continental champion after jumping to victory at the African Championships in Mauritius last month.

Earlier this season, he broke 8.00m for the first time in his career at the Gaborone International Meet(GIM). Having qualified by the virtue of being the continental champion, he will have a great task to improve considerably to match the athletes who qualified by the qualifying standard besides stepping authority locally as a record holder.

 

ZIBANE NGOZI (4x400m)

The 29-year-old is going to the championships as part of the Team Botswana relay, he was part of the team which got a Bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and was also in the team which brought home a gold medal at the African Championships in Mauritius last month.

LEUNGO SCOTCH (4x400m)

The 25-year-old Kareng born and 400m  sprinter joins the relay team as he has been registering good times even though they were not good enough to earn him sport at the World Championships, but good enough for a lane in Team Botswana. He was also in the team which won a Bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Just like Ngozi, the 2018 Botswana sportsman of the year was also in the relay team which brought home the gold medal at the African Championships in Mauritius last month.

MAITSEO KEITUMETSE (4x400m)

The 23-year-old Maun BDF athlete specializes in 400m hurdles and 400m, he had a great year hence his inclusion in the relay team, even though he is more specializing in 400m hurdles and is in the history books of Botswana for being one of the three 400m hurdle athletes under 50s in the country, the young man is also running impressive times in 400m as he clocked a personal best time of 45.66s qualifying for Africa Senior Championships and earning a spot in Team Botswana.

He was part of Team  Botswana which won gold in the mixed relay at the African Championships in Mauritius last month.

The participating athletes are accompanied by two coaches Justice Dipeba and Dose Mosimanyane, team manager, Tshepo Kelaotswe, assistant manager, Amogelang Masalela, psychologist, Violet Nthutang, and massage therapist, Kabo Molefe.