Who is with athletics on the plane to Los Angeles?
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday August 17, 2024 06:00
Athletics is very much expected to lead Team Botswana in the next edition of the Olympics to be held in Los Angeles, but which other code will be on the plane to the United States, asks MmegiSport Correspondent, KABELO BORANABI (blurb) Boxing has been removed from the Olympics for the first time in 100 years due to a standoff between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA). Local boxers would anxiously wait, as the decision may be overturned in 2025. Boxing had attained fifth place in the bantamweight division at the 2008 Olympics after Khumiso Ikgopoleng was knocked out in the quarterfinals.
Ikgopoleng is Botswana's best boxer in the Olympics, and the code has been a present feature for Team Botswana until recent years. This has left athletics to carry the torch alone, and the athletes have been dishing improving performances with each passing edition. Glody Dube became the first Motswana to reach the finals of an Olympic race in 2000 as he lined up in the 800m. Nijel Amos broke the barrier in 2012 as he won Botswana's first ever Olympic medal with a silver in the 800m. In this year's edition, sprint sensation, Letsile Tebogo brought home the first ever gold medal for Team Botswana with a victory in 200m.
Team Botswana bagged two medals, with a silver in the 4x400m men's relay event, making it the team's best hunt in the world spectacle. Botswana now has four Olympic medals, and it is all thanks to the athletics teams, and the youthful 2024 cohort could be a greater force in four years' time. In recent years, swimming has taken over from boxing and has been a great company to athletics but failed to make any progress in the medals column. The country has seen exciting swimmers such as David Freeman, Naomi Ruele, and just recently the duo of Adrian Robinson and Maxine Egner. However, over the years, no local swimmer has managed an automatic qualification to the Olympic Games, only going through wildcard entries.
Ahead of LA28, the IOC has included, amongst others, squash, cricket, and baseball. The national softball teams are always present in the World Championships and the Olympic dream could be a possibility in 2028. The men's team is ranked second to South Africa while the women's team tops the African charts. Softball could be the only possible qualifier as squash is still finding its feet in local sport. Cricket's Baggy Blues have pulled improving performances recently but would not be a threat to their continental counterparts in the qualifiers. Football on the other hand has struggled to get an Olympic qualifier.
With only two African spots, the Mares have a slim chance while the Zebras' Under-23 has, since 2008, failed to go beyond the second round of qualifiers and would be up for a tough ask. Table tennis' Junior Diteemane pulled the country's best performance during the 2024 ITTF Africa Youth Championship and 2032 would be more of a reality than 2028 and the majority of the junior members would be in their prime. Tennis also has several exciting juniors but would need to dig deep to reach the 2028 Olympics. Female weightlifter, Magdeline Moyengwa, shook the country, as she became the first Motswana to qualify for the Olympics. She has since quit the sport and weightlifting's second appearance at the Olympics seems a far-fetched dream. Sporting codes such as rugby, badminton, fencing, cycling, and judo have been performing well in the region but would need ambitious strategies to accompany athletics to the 2028 edition.