BAA chief Mabua Mabua says lessons from the World Relays and existing infrastructure will help Botswana stage the 25th African Senior Athletics Championships with confidence GAZETTE REPORTER Botswana has confirmed that it will host the 25th African Senior Athletics Championships …
Mabua Says 2028 Continental Athletics Hosting Will Be EasyBotswana Minute.
Monday, 18 May 2026
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Monday, 18 May 2026
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Botswanan press · Event
World Relays
Also known as: Debswana World Relays Gaborone 2026 · 2026 Debswana World Athletics Relays · 2026 World Athletics Relays
In coverage
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
- May 2026
The competition, held at the National Stadium last Saturday and Sunday, was the first World Relays held on African soil and produced some of the greatest moments with the highlight being when the local men’s 4x400m team clocked a World Relays record of 2:54.47. …
Relays glory meets growing complaintsAmid the fanfare of the World Relays, World Press Freedom Day passed with little public attention, even as editors warned that presidential attacks, delayed reforms and criminal defamation concerns are reviving old anxieties about press freedom. …
MEDIA RAISES FREEDOM CONCERNS… While she recently showcased a Botswana-themed collection during the World Relays, Motswagae noted that her creativity goes beyond national colours. …
Young entrepreneur weaves passion into purposeIt was the men’s 4x400m team, which produced the standout performance of the championships.The quartet of Lee Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi stopped the clock at 2:54.47, setting a new World Relays record and registering the second-fastest time in his …
Records fall in historic World Relays… You did not just compete; you inspired a nation," the World Relays Local Organising Committee (LOC) wrote in a statement on Sunday. …
Botswana passes World Relays testBotswana’s hosting of the 2026 Debswana World Athletics Relays is proving to be more than just a sporting success, emerging as a strategic turning point in the country’s efforts to revitalise its diamond industry. …
World Relays economic legacy lives on… In 2024, the team used the same script at the at World Relays held in Bahamas , clocking a blistering 2:59.11 to bring home gold. …
Botswana Takes Gold… At the same competition, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi became the world 400m champion.The hosts are favoured to defend their World Relays title which they won in Bahamas two years ago. …
US, Jamaica stars absent, but the show rumbles onThe eighth edition of the World Relays has come to Africa, and critically for Botswana, it is being held in Gaborone. …
After all is said and done, it’s on your marks!
Sport
Botswana to host 25th African Senior Athletics Championships 2028
The News
Botswana has confirmed it will host the 25th African Senior Athletics Championships in 2028. BAA chief executive officer Mabua Mabua expressed confidence that lessons from the World Relays and existing infrastructure will help the country stage the event successfully.
13 May 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
Wednesday 13 May
Botswana to host 25th African Senior Athletics Championships 2028
Botswana has confirmed it will host the 25th African Senior Athletics Championships in 2028. BAA chief executive officer Mabua Mabua expressed confidence that lessons from the World Relays and existing infrastructure will help the country stage the event successfully.
13 May 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
Friday 8 May
World Relays records celebrated amid transport and volunteer complaints
Botswana's men's 4x400m team set a World Relays record of 2:54.47 at the first World Relays held on African soil, held at the National Stadium. However, the Taxi Association of Botswana, volunteers, spectators, and local media have complained of exclusion, poor coordination, and communication failures, with taxi operators saying they were sidelined from the MICE framework and benefits.
8 May 2026 · Mmegi →
Wednesday 6 May
Editors warn of press freedom threats amid World Press Freedom Day
On World Press Freedom Day, Botswana's editors raised concerns about presidential attacks, delayed reforms, and criminal defamation issues threatening press freedom in the country.
6 May 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
Kanye entrepreneur builds crochet business on passion and craft
Lorato Motswagae founded Aus Lolah Crochet, a handcraft business in Kanye, after completing secondary education and choosing to pursue crochet as a full-time career rather than remain unemployed. She aims to grow the brand into an environmentally conscious label celebrating style and culture through eco-friendly, durable pieces.
6 May 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Tuesday 5 May
Botswana men's 4x400m team sets World Relays record
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.
5 May 2026 · Mmegi →
Botswana hosts World Relays, first African nation
Botswana became the first African nation to host the World Relays, with 40 countries and over 700 athletes participating. The event featured medals containing natural diamonds for the first time in the sport, and Botswana's men's 4x400m relay team qualified for the World Athletics Championships in Beijing next year.
5 May 2026 · Mmegi →
World Relays medals embed diamonds in Botswana branding push
Botswana's 2026 Debswana World Athletics Relays featured 120 locally sourced natural diamonds embedded in competition medals as part of a strategy to revitalise the diamond industry and position Botswana as a leader in ethical, traceable diamonds amid declining demand and competition from lab-grown alternatives.
5 May 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Sunday 3 May
Botswana wins 4x400m gold with area record time
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.
3 May 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Friday 1 May
Botswana 4x400m team favours repeat World Relays title
Botswana's 4x400m relay team, which won gold at the World Championships in Japan and the World Relays in Bahamas two years ago, is favoured to defend their World Relays title despite the absence of some US and Jamaica stars.
1 May 2026 · Mmegi →
Gaborone hosts World Relays, first African country to do so
Botswana is hosting the World Relays in Gaborone, the first African country to do so. A local resident expressed excitement about the event and hope that Team Botswana would win medals.
1 May 2026 · Mmegi →
Botswana to host eighth World Relays athletics championship
The World Relays championship is being held in Gaborone for the first time, marking Africa's first hosting of the event since its inaugural edition in 2014.
1 May 2026 · Mmegi →
Wednesday 29 April
Team Botswana athletes seek World Relays bonus payments
Athletes sought P100,000 each from Debswana Diamond Company's P16 million sponsorship and P50,000 each from Stanbic Bank Botswana's P5 million package ahead of the World Relays in Gaborone, but officials say the funds were already committed elsewhere.
29 April 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
World Relays LOC defends funding commitments amid public criticism
The Local Organising Committee for the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Gaborone has responded to public criticism, stating that millions have been committed to fees, broadcasting, and stadium upgrades for the event.
29 April 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
World Relays 2026 organisers cite funding, sponsorship delays
The Local Organising Committee for the Debswana World Relays Gaborone 2026 faces criticism over its marketing pace, citing limited funding and slow corporate buy-in as constraints on their promotional rollout.
29 April 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
Tuesday 28 April
FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix transforms National Stadium
The FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix 2026, sponsored with P6 million, took place at Gaborone's National Stadium as a World Athletics Continental Tour event and precursor to the World Relays.
28 April 2026 · Mmegi →
Tuesday 21 April
Botswana athletes train in Letlhakane ahead of World Relays
Botswana Athletics Association CEO Mabua Mabua says a training camp in Letlhakane allows athletes to focus on preparation for the World Relays event by removing distractions of urban areas.
21 April 2026 · Mmegi →