Botswana Minute.
Friday, 11 September 2026
Botswana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Friday, 11 September 2026
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Botswanan press · Organization

Botswana National Olympic Committee

Also known as: BNOC

Botswana's national Olympic governing body that oversees athlete eligibility, doping enforcement, team selection, and sports development policy.

2026-04-012026-09-11

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. August 2026
  2. Weekend Post

    The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) had publicly set a goal of seven medals, fielding athletes across athletics, boxing, judo, lawn bowls, and swimming.

    Glasgow reality check
  3. Daily News Botswana

    Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) president, Tshepo Sitale said sport was one of the most powerful sectors capable of positioning a small country like Botswana on the global map.

    Invest in local talent to drive excellence -Keorapetse
  4. Daily News Botswana

    Eight years after dominating the global track in Gold Coast, Australia, Team Botswana returned home empty-handed, a brutal zero-medal shocker that shattered the ambitious seven-medal target set by the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), exposed structural cracks across th

    Zero medal forces emergency reckoning for sport administrators
  5. July 2026
  6. Daily News Botswana

    Botswana National Olympic Committee president, Tshepo Sitale, said they were confident that the team they had assembled would bring good results.

    Kelebeng psych up athletes
  7. Daily News Botswana

    The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) has locked in the seven-medal objective by banking heavily on the country’s traditional sprinting talent and middle-distance prowess, a bold strategy designed to emulate and build upon previous historic feats.

    Team ready to build on Commonwealth legacy
  8. June 2026
  9. Botswana Sunday Standard

    Held under the theme “Beyond the Bars: Healing Through Sport,” the initiative brought together the Botswana Prison Service, the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC), community volunteers and participants of the TAFISA Certified

    Botswana Launches Sport-Based Rehabilitation in Correctional Facilities
  10. Daily News Botswana

    The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) and the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) are already seeing tangible returns on their investment in local sports leadership.

    New sport leaders turn training into action
  11. Weekend Post

    The quartet has initiated legal proceedings against the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) and the National Anti-Doping Office (NADO), challenging the validity, credibility, and handling of the samples that led to their suspensions.

    Doping Case: Court schedules August hearing
  12. Weekend Post

    The future of Botswana’s sports landscape faces a critical juncture, with the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) warning that the ongoing absence of organized school sports jeopardizes the nation’s long-term athletic success and talent development.

    BNOC sounds alarm over school sports crisis
  13. Mmegi

    According to Dintwa, the concept has been in development for nearly two years, with discussions initially held with the Ministry of Sport before eventually gaining support from the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC), Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), Botswana Tou

    From stadia to GDP, summit targets sports economy
Sport

Botswana returns from Glasgow Games with no medals

The News

Team Botswana failed to win a medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow despite public expectations of seven medals, marking a first in years and exposing gaps in the country's sports infrastructure and athlete development across athletics, boxing, judo, swimming, and lawn bowls.

10 August 2026 · Weekend Post

Monday 10 August

  1. Botswana returns from Glasgow Games with no medals

    Team Botswana failed to win a medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow despite public expectations of seven medals, marking a first in years and exposing gaps in the country's sports infrastructure and athlete development across athletics, boxing, judo, swimming, and lawn bowls.

    10 August 2026 · Weekend Post

Thursday 6 August

  1. Invest in local talent, strengthen systems—Keorapetse

    Speaker of the National Assembly Dithapelo Keorapetse urged stakeholders to protect and invest in local sporting talent and strengthen foundational systems for high-performance excellence, following Team Botswana's medal-less return from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

    6 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Monday 3 August

  1. Botswana returns empty-handed from Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

    Team Botswana failed to win any medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, ending an eight-year medal streak and falling short of the Botswana National Olympic Committee's seven-medal target. The result has exposed structural weaknesses across the national sports system and raised concerns about the country's status as an international sporting powerhouse.

    3 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Monday 13 July

  1. Minister urges 25 athletes to compete with integrity at Commonwealth Games

    Sport and Arts Minister Jacob Kelebeng told 25 Botswanan athletes representing the country at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to win with humility and integrity, emphasizing clean sport, fair play, and conduct as ambassadors reflecting Botho values.

    13 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Wednesday 8 July

  1. Botswana track squad targets seven medals at Glasgow 2026

    Botswana's 12-strong track and field team has been set an ambitious seven-medal target for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (July 23–August 2). The squad will draw on the country's historic sprinting and middle-distance pedigree, following achievements including Amantle Montsho's 2010 gold medal and Nijel Amos's 2014 win.

    8 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Monday 22 June

  1. Botswana introduces sport-based rehabilitation in prisons

    The government launched the Sports for Rehabilitation and Reintegration Festival at Mahalapye Female Prison, shifting the correctional system from punishment-focused to rehabilitation-centred through sport. The initiative involves the Botswana Prison Service, the Botswana National Olympic Committee, the Botswana National Sport Commission, and community volunteers, with a particular focus on women and children.

    22 June 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard

Monday 15 June

  1. Sports leaders launch community projects after leadership training

    Following a TAFISA Certified Leadership Course in Mahalapye, trainees from the Botswana National Olympic Committee and Botswana National Sport Commission have launched community-led projects to make sport accessible to all. The Bokamoso Jwa Africa Group organized a 2km walk for special education learners from Mahalapye Primary School and Wellogreen School to promote health and social inclusion.

    15 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Tuesday 9 June

  1. High Court schedules August hearing in doping case

    The High Court scheduled an August 10 hearing in a doping investigation involving four Botswana track athletes after confusion over an earlier court date sparked public criticism and allegations of judicial misconduct. Justice Itumeleng Segopolo used an emergency session to clarify the postponement and defend the court's integrity.

    9 June 2026 · Weekend Post

  2. BNOC warns school sports absence threatens athlete development

    The Botswana National Olympic Committee president has described the absence of organized school sports as a "national crisis," warning that continued lack of structured sports participation in schools jeopardizes the country's long-term athletic success and risks losing an entire generation of athletes.

    9 June 2026 · Weekend Post

  3. Sports summit planned to boost Botswana's sports economy sector

    A Business of Sport Summit scheduled for June 25–26, 2026 at Gaborone International Convention Centre aims to align sport and creative industries with government's ambition to increase their contribution to GDP. Founder Bonni Dintwa stated that while sport is a multi-billion-dollar industry globally and across Africa, Botswana has not fully unlocked the economic opportunities within the sector and that government policies are needed to attract more funding into sport.

    9 June 2026 · Mmegi

Monday 8 June

  1. Botswana runner suspended for prohibited substance test

    The Botswana National Olympic Committee provisionally suspended 800m runner Letlhogonolo Mokgethi after he tested positive for 19-norandrosterone during an in-competition test in April 2026. This suspension occurs alongside an ongoing court case involving four other track athletes over doping allegations.

    8 June 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard

Wednesday 3 June

  1. Botswana track athletes' doping case set for August 10

    High Court Judge Justice Itumeleng Segopolo has confirmed that the legal case involving four provisionally banned Botswana track athletes will be heard on August 10, following an emergency hearing to address confusion after the case was omitted from the official court roll in June.

    3 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Tuesday 2 June

  1. Nigel Amos launches academies to reform Botswana athletics development

    Olympic silver medalist Nigel Amos has announced a plan to transform youth athletics in Botswana and Southern Africa through two initiatives: the TATAMILAWOLOTO Track Klub, a professional academy for athletes aged 9 to 24 offering high-performance training, and the United Youth Athletics League, designed to address gaps in junior athletics programs across the region.

    2 June 2026 · Weekend Post

  2. Botswana athletes gain court-ordered access to doping test results

    After months of resistance from BNOC and NADO, Justice Segopolo ordered the release of ADAMS system login details to four athletes—Karabo Mothibi, Lydia Jele, Refilwe Murangi, and Zibane Ngozi—who had been provisionally suspended following positive doping tests that they deny.

    2 June 2026 · Weekend Post

  3. Sport offers hope amid Botswana's economic hardship

    The Botswana National Olympic Committee president told the organization's Annual General Meeting that sport serves as a pillar of strength, hope and unity during a time when Botswana faces severe economic constraints, declining living standards, and pressure from falling diamond demand. He urged sports leaders and government to unite to commercialize and professionalize the sports sector as an alternative economic vehicle.

    2 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Monday 1 June

  1. BAA warns of rising doping cases among local athletes

    The Botswana Athletics Association held its Annual General Assembly on Saturday, where acting president Oabona Theetso flagged doping as an ongoing challenge, citing the recent positive test of Letlhogonolo Mokgethi and noting that four other local athletes have taken the BNOC and associated parties to court over disputed doping results.

    1 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Thursday 28 May

  1. Unaswi Matebu, BNOC board member, has died

    The Botswana National Olympic Committee and Botswana Hockey Association announced the death of Unaswi Matebu, who served on the BNOC Board from 2021 to 2025 as an Additional Member and chaired the Sustainability Committee.

    28 May 2026 · The Botswana Gazette

  2. Botswana athletes face doping crisis amid violations

    Botswana's track and field community is grappling with a surge in doping cases, including high-profile athletes who have challenged positive results. The Botswana National Olympic Committee has confirmed multiple violations, leading to stricter international testing protocols and threats to the nation's sporting reputation.

    28 May 2026 · Weekend Post

Wednesday 27 May

  1. Botswana 800m athlete tests positive for banned substance

    According to the Botswana National Olympic Committee, an 800m athlete's sample tested positive for 19-norandrosterone, an anabolic steroid, during in-competition testing on April 4, 2026. The athlete has been provisionally suspended pending adjudication under WADA code.

    27 May 2026 · Mmegi

Wednesday 1 April

  1. Botswana targets seven medals at Glasgow Commonwealth Games

    Botswana National Olympic Committee is targeting two gold, two silver, and three bronze medals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games (July 23–August 2), where Team Botswana will compete in Athletics, Boxing, Judo, Lawn Bowling, Weightlifting, and Swimming. BNOC has also assembled a youth team for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (October 31–November 13) competing in Athletics, Boxing, Judo, and Swimming, with Tebogo Ntesang leading the Commonwealth team and Master Luza leading the Youth Olympics delegation.

    1 April 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Botswana National Olympic Committee — Botswanan press coverage · Botswana Minute