Gaborone gold rush: how Botswana rose to the top of men’s sprinting

Collen Kebinatshipi celebrates after winning gold in the men’s 400m at the World Athletics Championships. Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The 22-year-old, who started running at school, said he now allowed half an hour for photos with fans when he went out shopping. “At first I was a bit nervous, because I wasn’t used to it … Nowadays I’m used to it, so it’s cool with me,” he said.

Years-long investment in young athletes is one of the biggest reasons for the southern African country’s recent success, sports officials said. The Botswana Athletics Association’s chief executive, Mabua Mabua, said: “I must thank the school sports programmes that we used to have, because basically all of the athletes that you are seeing, the youthful ones, are coming from that programme.”

He also highlighted the country’s infrastructure. “All of the preparations for the team are done locally. Normally people say ‘no, they should go to Europe, USA, for preparations’. It’s local coaches, a local environment.”

Resego Kelly Makwala, 15, the daughter of the former Botswana sprint star Isaac Makwala, is emerging as a promising young athlete. Photograph: Kefilwe Monosi/The Guardian

The Botswana National Sports Commission runs programmes for 15 sports to spot and nurture talent. Re Ba Bona Ha, meaning “We See Them Here” in Setswana, is a coaching initiative for children aged five to 13 that was launched for football in 2002, with athletics added in 2008. Up to 300 children attend athletics sessions every year, said Frederick Kebadiretse, the BNSC’s sports development manager.

Then there are twice-yearly holiday camps to identify older students for eight centres of sports excellence, which were founded in 2011. The centres run weekday afternoon and weekend training sessions, with 30 to 40 students picked for athletics annually.

Sports officials warned that without the school sports programme, which was suspended in 2019 due to a dispute between the government and teachers, Botswana’s recent athletics success was at risk. “The pipeline is not there,” said Martin Mokgwathi, who chaired the world relays organising committee. “[Performance] will dip unless something is done very, very quickly.”

Martin Mokgwathi at the Botswana national stadium, where this year’s world relays competition was held. Photograph: Kefilwe Monosi/The Guardian

Botswana’s female athletes have not yet matched the men’s results. Oratile Nowe, the seventh fastest woman this year over 800m, is the current highest performer.

The officials admitted more needed to be done to support women and girls. “We need to widen the pipeline so we can get more and more young women to join,” Mokgwathi said. “The other thing, of course, is to encourage more and more women to become coaches and technical officials … And we need to protect young women coming into the sport, so that they stay.”

Oratile Nowe celebrates after winning the women’s 800m at the Botswana golden grand prix last month. Photograph: Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP/Getty Images

Isaac Makwala is trying to fill the pipelines. Makwala, whom numerous young athletes cite as an inspiration, was the first man to run 400m in under 44 seconds and 200m in under 20 seconds in the same day. The son of farmers from a village in northern Botswana, he started running at school, although he didn’t compete until he was 21.

After retiring in 2024, Makwala founded the Isaac Makwala Athletics Academy, putting about 50 12- to 16-year-olds through sprinting drills five afternoons a week. “I have a daughter here, she drives me to be a coach,” he said. “I want to see how well she will run after. Did she take her talent from me?”

Tuduetso Gaboutloeloe cheers for her daughter Leloba, 13, during a training session at the Isaac Makwala Athletics Academy in Gaborone. Photograph: Kefilwe Monosi/The Guardian

Earlier this year his daughter, Resego Kelly Makwala, became Botswana’s under-18 girls champion in 400m, aged just 14. “I do really like it,” she said. “The times. When I make good times, PBs [personal bests].”

Makwala’s centre relies on motivated parents who can afford the 100 pula (£5.50) registration and 500 pula monthly fees. Tuduetso Gaboutloeloe, a tax collector, is one. “I want to be honest with you, the way the economy is bad, I want to see her going places, maybe getting a scholarship so she can progress very well,” she said. “Because right now, it’s a struggle.”

Her 13-year-old daughter, Leloba, who runs 800m and wants to try 400m too, dreams of Olympic success. “I do imagine myself winning medals,” she said.