The donation was made yesterday during their send-off ceremony held in Phakalane. The amount is an addition to the existing Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) sponsorship. The team left today (Friday) for the World Athletics Junior Championships to be held in Lima, Peru, from August 27-31. Speaking during the event, Debswana executive head of corporate affairs, Rachel Mothibatsela, said they had the privilege to visit the Under-20 team during training at the National Stadium. “We were impressed by the passion and dedication of each one of you. We were also impressed that the team is diverse, with six men and six women.
The team comprises talent drawn from different corners of Botswana,” she said. Mothibatsela stated that it is not an easy feat to represent Botswana, especially after the recent achievement by the Olympic team. “We have seen the grit it takes to represent this country and it is clear that the bar has been set high. However, I humbly urge you, our junior team to be true to yourselves, to manage pressure while aiming for excellence. Remember, it is the journey that matters not the destination,” she said. Mothibatsela said the time has come for athletes to prove that they are not in the team by chance but have qualified for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships on merit. “As partners with De Beers Botswana and DTC Botswana, we believe that sports development is a great way and contributor to the improvement of livelihoods,” she added. Mothibatsela went on to warn the team against performance-enhancing substances.
For his part, the team manager, Isaac Mbise, said initially it was uncertain that the team would travel to Peru due to financial constraints. “Most of the team members are new but some were part of the 2022 team. These athletes came through the pathway system. Some of the athletes who have been in the same system are Collen Kebinatshipi, Letsile Tebogo, and Anthony Pesela. We trained these athletes to win, not to just compete. This is the team that will represent us at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” Mbise said. The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) president, Moses Bantsi, said Debswana, De Beers, and DTC Botswana continue to invest in local sport.
He said their collective impact contributes significantly to nurturing young talent and building the future for young people. Meanwhile, the support team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was rewarded with P30,000 each. The recipients are Oreeditse Marakgoro (Chef de Mission), Dr Stella Tawana (team doctor), Kagiso Tlhabano-David (Psychologist), Sithabile Machao (Physiotherapist), Clement Gaothuse (Physiotherapist), Obakeng Ngwigwa (General Team Manager), Edwin Kelapile (Team media attaché), and Modise Mgadla (Administration).
