Botswana's golden sprint: Masterplan behind emergence as athletics powerhouse

The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris concluded with a familiar scene: Team USA at the pinnacle, amassing 126 medals, including 40 golds, to solidify its dominance in the annals of Olympic history. Yet, among the glitzy performances of traditional powerhouses, the ascent of a new contender in global athletics was unmistakably clear: Botswana.

Ghana, the first African country south of the Sahara to win an Olympic medal back in 1960, returned empty-handed after another underwhelming performance by the eight-member team of swimming and athletics stars.

While Kenya, long the flag-bearer for Africa in distance running, continued its legacy with 11 medals, the Southern African nation of Botswana captured the world’s attention with a breakthrough performance, winning one gold and one silver. 

This achievement was spearheaded by the sensational 21-year-old sprinter, Letsile Tebogo, who etched his name in history with a gold-medal performance in the men’s 200m, setting a new African record of 19.46 seconds. 

His heroics on the track at the Stade De France where two medals at his maiden Summer Olympic Games catapulted Botswana into the global sporting conversation.

Tebogo’s gold medal in the men’s 200m was a historic moment, not just for Botswana but for the entire African continent. 

Clocking an African record time of 19.46 seconds, he destroyed the star-studded line-up and stole the limelight from American superstar and favourite Noah Lyles to become the first African to win Olympic gold in the 200m. 

This was no fluke—Tebogo’s triumph was the result of years of strategic planning and investment in athletics by Botswana.

Emergence of a new star

Tebogo's success is not an isolated incident but the culmination of a decade-long evolution in Botswana's athletics programme. 

It is an inspiring story of clear vision, strategy and execution—a masterclass in how a small nation can rise to prominence on the world stage with the right investments, planning and talent.

The Southern African nation first tasted global athletics success at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing (the same competition in which Ghana’s Martha Bissah won gold in the girls’ 800m), where its athletes began to show promise on the world stage.

The journey to Olympic glory for Africa’s new poster boy of sprinting began two years ago when he captured the world’s attention by setting a new world record in the 100m at the 2022 World Athletics U-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. 

His 9.91-second sprint heralded the arrival of a new sprinting prodigy. A year later, he made history again at the World Championships in Budapest, clinching a silver medal in the men’s 100m—becoming the first African to reach the podium in this event.

Botswana’s meteoric rise in athletics did not happen overnight. The journey began back in 1980 when the nation made its Olympic debut in Moscow. However, it was not until the 2012 London Games that the country won its first Olympic medal, courtesy of Nijel Amos, who bagged silver in the men’s 800m. 

This breakthrough set the stage for future successes, including the silver medal won by the men’s 4x400m relay team at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. The baton has now passed to the Tebogo-led team, which secured a silver in the 4x400m relay at the Paris Games last Saturday, reaffirming their growing stature in athletics

Strategic vision for excellence

Botswana's rise in athletics is the result of a deliberate and strategic approach to sports development, underpinned by the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) and the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA). 

Central to this strategy is the BNSC’s Vision 2028, an ambitious roadmap designed to elevate Botswana’s status in the global sporting community.

At the core of Vision 2028 is the development of a National Sports Strategy aimed at increasing overall sports participation across the country. 

It focuses on expanding the number of professional sports clubs, training affiliates in very effective marketing and promoting sports to attract more participants at all levels. 

The BAA, as a key stakeholder in this vision, has taken proactive steps to implement a National Community Sports Programme. 

This comprehensive initiative offers a platform for individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to engage in athletics training and competition, fostering a new generation of athletes.

Blueprint for Excellence

Botswana’s athletics success is built on five strategic pillars: Talent Identification, High-Performance Training, National Support Programmes, Science and Technology and Competition Experience.

These strategic pillars ensure early scouting and development of young athletes through school and community programmes, investments in world-class facilities and coaching with international partnerships to enhance the quality of training, government support through scholarships, training stipends, and other forms of financial assistance for the country’s leading athletes, and regular participation in regional and international competitions for athletes to gain valuable experience and improve their performance.

The country leverages sports science and technology to optimise training and performance analysis which encourages data-driven decision-making, enabling athletes and coaches to fine-tune their strategies for peak performance.

Inspiring new generation

Tebogo’s rise to stardom is deeply rooted in the legacy left by Botswana’s previous athletic stars. The nation’s golden era began with Amantle Montsho, who won the women’s 400m title at the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Montsho’s achievements, including multiple African and Commonwealth Games golds, have inspired a new generation of athletes like Galefele Moroko, Christine Botlogetswe and Lydia Jele.

Tebogo’s stellar performance at the Paris Games has not only galvanised the nation but also reignited a passion for athletics across Botswana. 

His success is expected to spur further investment from both the government and the private sector, ensuring that the country’s athletics programme continues to thrive.

Sporting legacy

Botswana’s ambitions extend beyond individual success. Despite losing the hosting rights for the 2026 African Championships to Ghana, it remains committed to hosting international sports events as it aims to create a vibrant sports culture within the country and strategically position itself on the world sporting map as an emerging power in athletics.