The year passes as Botswana's best in sporting terms with pregnant hopes the trajectory will continue into 2025, particularly heading to the men and women's Africa Cup of Nations finals as well as the World Athletics Championships. In 2024, the highlights have seen Botswana winning two gold medals at an Olympic event for the first time in history. It was two quality gold and silver medals. Letsile Tebogo became the first African to win a gold medal in the 200m event, while the 4x400m relay team pushed the Americans all the way, as Botswana finished with a silver medal, bettering the bronze won in Tokyo three years earlier. Ross Branch became the first Motswana to win the world rally championships, while perennial underachievers, the Zebras, found themselves sharing the table with 2024's great achievers. The Zebras recently qualified for only their second Africa Cup of Nations finals.
One underestimated watershed moment was the removal of an increasingly autocratic regime at the Botswana Football Association (BFA) with Tariq Babitseng enjoying his 'Duma Boko' moment. While 2024 has been a great year by all accounts, 2011 and 2012 were not far too behind. In 2011, Botswana, then, celebrated its finest sporting moment when the country produced its first ever world champion in Amantle Montsho. Montsho won the 400m world title in Daegu, South Korea, while in the same year, the Zebras achieved qualification to the AFCON finals for the first time. The following year produced a good harvest as Botswana produced its first ever Olympic medal through Nijel Amos' silver in the 800m. The earlier achievements proved that with the right approach and commitment from authorities, Botswana sport has the capacity to go shoulder-to-shoulder with the best, not just in Africa, but globally. The hair raising exploits of Tebogo in particular, have made the world sit up and take notice.
The 21-year-old is in line to win the best male athlete of the year, a deserved accolade after a standout year following his breakout performances in 2023. The peerless Tebogo has emerged as the current soundtrack of Botswana sport and has smashed every available national sprint record with consummate ease. More is to come and a nation is expectedly excited. The performance of sport is crucial to nation building and pushing the happiness index northwards. The world saw the pulling power of sport in full display when a whole nation came to a standstill to welcome its Olympic heroes in August. It was a sight to behold as even the crowd at the recent inauguration of President Duma Boko was below the thousands that turned up to salute the athletics team.
The change of guard after national elections on October 30, means there is a new sport minister. Sport has responded to the Leader of Opposition, Dumelang Saleshando's rousing challenge of 'dare not to fail' well in advance. Minister Jacob Kelebeng should therefore, ensure that the newly found momentum is preserved.
