… As Collen Kebinatshipi spurted home, at the tail end of Lee Eppie, Letsile Tebogo and Bayapo Ndori exchanging the baton in the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26, to win the 4 x 400m gold, the nation erupted into a fit of joy. …
… The quartet now has a shot at redemption after a costly baton exchange error in the qualifying round one. Collen Kebinatshipi assured Batswana that the team would make amends. …
The quartert of Bekhimpilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo,Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi delivered gold in front of over 22 000 spectators, with a Area Record and Champion Record time of 2:54.47 This title is a testament of the rise and now prominence of Botswana of Botswana in the …
… The spotlight, however, will be on the fiercely contested Sportsman of the Year category, where sprint sensation Collen Kebinatshipi carries the hopes of athletics against footballer Goitseone Phoko and judoka Tumiso Phuthego. …
… Botswana’s top track and field athletes, led by Tebogo (100m & 200m), also include 2025 World 400m champion Collen Kebinatshipi, Bayapo Ndori (400m), Tshepiso Masalela (800m) Kethobogile Haingura (800m) and Oratile Nowe (800m). …
… Kolantsho said despite the absence of local icons like Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, Bhekimpilo Eppie and Collen Kebinatshipi, Batswana filled the stands, proving that the nation’s love for athletics now transcends individual stars. …
… In the absence of Letsile Tebogo, Collen Kebinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori, 800 meters athletes Tshepiso Masalela Kethobogile Haingura and Oratile Nowe will be expected to spice up the event. …
Botswana Telecommunications Corporation has launched its "Own Your Mark" consumer brand campaign, partnering with athlete Collen Kebinatshipi as brand ambassador to encourage customers to embrace individuality and reach their potential through the company's network and services.
Why it matters
BTC's major consumer brand campaign reflects competitive dynamics and innovation in Botswana's telecoms sector.
Botswana Telecommunications Corporation has launched its "Own Your Mark" consumer brand campaign, partnering with athlete Collen Kebinatshipi as brand ambassador to encourage customers to embrace individuality and reach their potential through the company's network and services.
Coach Chilume 'Chippa' Ntshwarang describes 22-year-old Collen Kebinatshipi—who has set continental records and won world 400m gold—as still in a development phase with more to come. After a severe injury sidelined Kebinatshipi from hurdling in 2019, Ntshwarang's coaching redirected him toward sprinting, a transformation that eventually made him Botswana's fastest senior male individual world champion.
Athletics legend Isaac Makwala has established the Isaac Makwala Foundation, to be officially launched on 19 June at the Gaborone International Convention Centre. The foundation aims to preserve his legacy and create opportunities for young people through sport development, education, mentorship, youth empowerment and social impact programmes.
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.
Botswana's 400-meter runner Collen Kebinatshipi has transitioned to a dominant world-stage competitor, highlighted by his historic individual breakthrough at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, anchoring Botswana's 4x400m men relay team to victory at the Debwana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26, and winning the Xiamen Diamond League with a world-leading time and meeting record of 43.92.
Botswana's Collen Kebinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori will compete in the 400 metres at Saturday's Xiamen Diamond League meeting against international competitors, following their recent relay gold at the Debswana World Athletics Relays in Gaborone. Letsile Tebogo is also set to compete at the meeting.
Botswana's National Sports Commission is holding its Sport Awards ceremony, with Collen Kebinatshipi and Ntungamili Raguin among standout athletes competing for Sportsperson of the Year. The event, new CEO Olebile Sikwane's first since taking office in January, celebrates the country's sporting achievements including the successful World Relays 2026 and notable performances in athletics and tennis.
Botswana's men's 4x400m relay team of Lee Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi clocked 2:54.47 to set a new World Relays record and register the second-fastest time in history, 0.18 seconds behind the world record held by the United States.
Botswana's newly refurbished National Stadium track has been recognised as one of the world's premier fast tracks, joining venues like Hayward Field and Stade Louis II. Three World Records were broken at the Debswana World Athletics Relays within 48 hours, with Botswana setting an African and Championship Record in the 4x400m.
The 2025 Botswana National Sport Awards have produced a strong list of nominees for sportsman and sportswoman of the Year, with athletes, footballers, judokas, chess and karate practitioners in contention. The Sportsman of the Year category includes sprinter Collen Kebinatshipi, who won double gold at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in the 400m and 4x400m relay and set a national record of 43.53 in the 400m, footballer Goitseone Phoko, who helped Jwaneng Galaxy win the Orange FA Cup and featured in AFCON 2025, and judoka Tumiso Phuthego.
Botswana's national athletics relays team won the 4 x 400m gold at the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26, held at the National Stadium where the country's independence was declared in 1966. The victory united the nation across different backgrounds, with Vice President and Minister of Finance Ndaba Gaolathe among the celebrating fans.
Botswana's men's 4x100m relay team qualified for the Debswana World Athletics Relays finals for the first time, setting a National Record of 37.96 seconds with Letsile Tebogo's anchor leg securing second place in the heat. The men's 4x400m team also advanced with a time of 2:57.52, while women's 4x100m, mixed 4x100m and women's 4x400m teams did not progress to the finals.
A quartet of Bekhimpilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi claimed gold in the 4x400m relay in front of over 22,000 spectators, setting an area record and champion record time of 2:54.47.
Botswana's 4x400m men's relay qualified for the World Championships in Beijing 2027 after running 2:57.52 in heat one at the Debswana World Athletics Relays. The team, currently ranked number one in the world, has a long track record of qualification and finals appearances.
The Botswana National Sport Commission announced nominees for the 45th Botswana Sports Awards, with the Botswana Athletics Association securing eight nominations. Sprint athlete Collen Kebinatshipi is nominated for Sportsman of the Year, competing against footballer Goitseone Phoko and judoka Tumiso Phuthego, while athlete Oratile Nowe represents athletics in the Sportswoman of the Year category.
SuperSport will partner with Botswana Television to broadcast the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event taking place on 26 April 2026 at the National Stadium in Gaborone, hosted by Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo and featuring Botswana's top track and field athletes.
The third edition of the Botswana Golden Grand Prix has concluded, and organisers are awaiting a critical technical report from World Athletics to determine whether Gaborone will regain Gold status or remain at Silver tier. The event was downgraded last year for failing to meet administrative timelines, and the technical delegate noted communication issues and disruptive last-minute changes despite acknowledging the overall programme as successful.
Botswana's men's 4x100m relay team, featuring sprinters Letsile Tebogo and Prince Selepe, aims to break a medal-less international history at the Debswana World Athletics Relays on May 2–3, inspired by the 4x400m team's rise to Olympic champions.
The Botswana Golden Grand Prix will take place at the National Stadium on April 26, featuring international and local athletes competing in sprints and middle-distance events. Notable absences include elite runners Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Collen Kebinatshipi, though athletes like Tshepiso Masalela and the national 4x100m relay teams are entered.