The team achieved the feat despite a slow start at the games. Botswana eventually found its rhythm to retain its second position behind South Africa, which they also scooped at the last edition of the games that were held in Lesotho.
Botswana scooped 38 medals (11 gold medals, 17 silver and 10 bronze) with South Africa winning 27 medals, 19 gold, six silver and two bronze. On the third spot is Malawi with 20 medals (eight gold, three silver and nine bronze).
Eswatini comes last after failing to pick a single medal at the games that ended yesterday. Athletics was instrumental in team Botswana medal haul, being the first code to win a gold medal through the boys’ 4x400m relay.
Other medals came from mixed relay (gold), boys 800m (bronze). Letlhogonolo Mokgethi brought home a silver from the boys 800m. Discuss girls: Angelo Kaelo - silver and Tumelo Ratlhogo - bronze.
Winnie Sarefo walked away with a silver medal in the girls 100m. Othusitse Mokaraoke and Thapelo Galeboe earned gold and silver respectively in the boys 3000m. The girls’ 4x400m relay team that comprised of Warona Thonisani, Oratile Kolobe, Olorato Motani and Obakeng Kamberuka settled for silver. Reuben Wangu scooped gold in the boys’ high jump (1.95). Athletics team manager, Doctor Eric Mandawu told Sport Monitor that he was impressed by the performance of his squad.
He said if there was funding, it was important to increase the number of participants that they take to competitions. “We failed to field in some of the events and other countries capitalised on that. We won five gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals, which is indication that we had a good team. Most of my athletes if not all clocked their personal best times (PB’s).
Some were debutants in the national team set up but surpassed everybody’s expectations,” he said. Mandawu singled out Kago Seshoka as one athlete who outdid himself, keeping spectators on their toes, he was an anchor of both the boys’ 4x400m and 4x400m mixed relay teams. He later got himself a bronze in the 400m beating seasoned athletes. “If this team can be kept together, we can go far. We have the Africa Under-20 championships slated for Lusaka in April 2023.
This can be the foundation for those championships,” he said. Meanwhile, the athletics VI team won nine medals (three gold, four silver and two bronze). The results for athletics VI: Amogelang Serepelele settled for silver in the boys’ T11 400m (non medal). Zaayon Keamogetse Serepelele received a gold medal in the boys T11 also winning silver in the 800m T11.
The girls gold medal went to Neo Gabontshwe in T13 while Amantle Makhura walked away with a bronze in the girls T13 400m. It was a gold for Theo Nkele in the girls T13 100m and silver for Bokang Mopalo in the girls T12.
Tsholofelo Madome won silver medal in the girls T13 100m. Rorisang Ramabokwa settled for silver in the men’s 800m T12. Four silver medals came from boxing, Otisitswe Kapinga (75kg), Philip Keobakeng (57kg), Mmoloki Sekwaipe (63.5kg) and Gift Thipe (71kg). In football, the Under 17 boys team lost 4-2 in the semi final against Zambia.
The girls were walloped 9-0 by Malawi missing out on a medal. The volleyball girls scooped gold after defeating champions, Lesotho 3-1 while the boys failed to defend their title that they won in the last edition as they lost 3-0 to the host country.
Tennis won three bronze medals in the following categories, boys singles (Mark Nawa), Naledi Raguin and Chelsea Chakanyuka (girls singles), Nawa and Batsomi Marobela (boys doubles). The team won a silver medal for the team event after coming second behind Zimbabwe and ahead of Zambia. Overall Botswana finished in fourth position with a total of 47 medals being 12 gold, 22 silver and 13 bronze.
