The World Athletics Council awarded Botswana the right to host the competition in May 2026. MmegiSport has been informed that the construction of a new track will cost an estimated P10 million whilst the refurbishment of the UB track is estimated between P15 million and P20 million. BNSC CEO, Tuelo Serufho, said he was not in a position to discuss the figures for the project at the moment. “We are still waiting for the government to make a decision regarding the two projects. That is when tenders will be issued and the project will start,” he said. The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) vice president, Oabona Theetso, said the bid cost BAA in the region of P500, 000 as it was done in-house. Theetso said for the warm-up track they are eyeing the UB stadium but it comes with its costs.
He said they hope the government and the private sector will assist for the refurbishment of the track. Meanwhile, Serufho said getting the rights to host World Relays is a great deal and hosting the competition will coincide with Botswana’s 60-year independence anniversary. He said the event presents a great opportunity for Botswana to showcase to the world, its beauty and culture, amongst other things. He said it is a great opportunity, aligning well with the Botswana Meetings, Incentives Conferences and Exhibition (MICE) strategy. Serufho said for sport development, the presence of some of the world’s top athletes will serve as an inspiration to young people in Botswana and the region. “Of course successfully delivering the event will put us in great stead to host other big international competitions in the future, such as the World Athletics Championships,” Serufho said. The BAAs' Theetso could not hide his excitement about winning the bid, a dream that they have been chasing since the 2024 Bahamas edition. “We had sent a delegation that included Moses Bantsi and Pinkie Wilson. They were on a benchmarking exercise in The Bahamas last year and see what was needed to host. It means a lot that we have won this bid. It is a placement of confidence on us from the World Athletics that it can trust us to host an event of such stature,” Theetso said.
