Botswana has officially declared a public holiday to celebrate its groundbreaking victory in the men's 4x400 metres at the World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo. This historic achievement marks Botswana as the first African nation to win this prestigious event. President Duma Boko praised the team’s outstanding performance during an online address, referring to it as a 'historic African win'. The holiday will take place on Monday, September 29, just prior to the country’s independence day.
The team of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi triumphed in a nail-biting race, edging out the traditionally dominating US team, who had previously won this event for ten years consecutively. South Africa secured third place.
President Boko celebrated this monumental achievement while attending the UN General Assembly in New York, emphasizing that the nation’s 'natural diamonds are not just in the ground; they are our World Champion athletes.' He called the moment electric and a testament to Botswana’s growing influence in the global arena.
Botswana's athletics prowess is on the rise, as they finished fifth overall in the championship medal standings, achieving their best-ever results with two golds, one silver, and one bronze. Notably, last year marked another historic moment when Letsile Tebogo won the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s 200m, spurring national celebrations at the stadium in Gaborone.
This new public holiday aims to allow citizens to pause and celebrate their sporting heroes, further embedding this victory into the annals of the Republic’s history.
The team of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi triumphed in a nail-biting race, edging out the traditionally dominating US team, who had previously won this event for ten years consecutively. South Africa secured third place.
President Boko celebrated this monumental achievement while attending the UN General Assembly in New York, emphasizing that the nation’s 'natural diamonds are not just in the ground; they are our World Champion athletes.' He called the moment electric and a testament to Botswana’s growing influence in the global arena.
Botswana's athletics prowess is on the rise, as they finished fifth overall in the championship medal standings, achieving their best-ever results with two golds, one silver, and one bronze. Notably, last year marked another historic moment when Letsile Tebogo won the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s 200m, spurring national celebrations at the stadium in Gaborone.
This new public holiday aims to allow citizens to pause and celebrate their sporting heroes, further embedding this victory into the annals of the Republic’s history.
