Bon Voyage: Off to Paris they go!

Some members left yesterday for a pre-camp ahead of the games while other athletes, Letsile Tebogo, Collen Kebinatshipi, and Anthony Pesela are already in Europe competing in the Diamond League and Continental Tour Meets. The team comprises 14 members from athletics and swimming. Two swimmers, Maxine Egner, and Adrian Robinson qualified for the Olympics after receiving wild cards. Botswana will be making its 12th appearance at the Summer Olympic Games. The country won its first medal at the games through Nijel Amos' silver during the London 2012 Games. Three years ago in Tokyo, the 4x400m relay team delivered the second medal, a bronze.

Speaking during the team's send-off ceremony on Wednesday, the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) senior vice-president, Tshepo Sitale, said for the first time, they are sending three athletes to compete in the 800m, including the first female, Oratile Nowe. “For the first time after 44 years, the NOC has a kit sponsor, Diadora and the value of the sponsorship is P1.3 million, which means they supply us for the next two years. It has a cash value of €35,000 (P515,000) per year for the next three years. It is the first time that we are going to outshine any medal tally we have had before,” he said. For his part, the Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture (MYSC), Tumiso Rakgare, said the journey towards preparing the Olympic team did not start yesterday. He said in the quest to remain forward-thinking, the government has been intentional in its dedication towards sport. “The government is in the process of developing the sport and creative sector strategy.

This strategy is intended to be the framework through which we will achieve the self-sustaining sport industry that produces globally competitive sport persons,” he said. Rakgare said houses are ready for the athletes as long as they bring Olympic medals home. Athletes who win gold medals will be rewarded with high-cost houses while those who win silver will get medium-cost houses, while the low-cost homes are reserved for silver medallists. The athletes have been receiving P8, 300 per month as a stipend for qualifying for the Olympics until August while each athlete was paid a P30,000 qualification incentive.

Paris Olympic 2024 team:

Athletics: Full names: Letsile Tebogo Race: 100m/200m Gender: Male Age: 21 PBs: 9.88s (100m)/ 19.50s (200m)

Full Names: Leungo Scotch Race: 400m/4x400m relay Gender: Male Age: 25 PB: 44.10s

Full Names: Bayapo Ndori Race: 400m/4x400m relay Gender: Male Age: 25 PB: 44.10s

Full Names: Anthony Pesela Race: 4x400m relay Gender: Male Age: 22 PB: 44.58s

Full name: Collen Busang Kebinatshipi Race: 400m/4x400m relay Gender: Male Age: 20 PB: 44.80s

Full name: Tshepiso Masalela Race: 800m Gender: Male Age: 25 PB: 1:43.88s

Full name: Kethobogile Haingura Race: 800m Gender: Male Age: 25 PB: 1:43.94

Full name: Tumo Nkape Race: 800m Gender: Male Age: 26 PB: 1:45.25s

Full name: Victor Ntweng Race: 400mH Gender: Male Age: 28 PB: 48.82s

Full name: Oratile Nowe Race: 800m Gender: Female Age: 24 PB: 1:59.69s

Full name: Lee Eppie Race: 4x400m relay Gender: Male Age: 23 PB: 45.39s

Full name: Boitumelo Masilo Race: 4x400m relay Gender: Male Age: 28 PB: 45.50s

Swimming:

Full name: Maxine Egner Race: Women 100m Freestyle Gender: Female Age: 19 PB: 57.36s

Full name: Adrian Robinson Race: Men’s 100m Breaststroke Age: 24 PB: 1:02.22s