Kutlo Motseta
24th October 2025
Botswana’s World Relay personnel have hit the road running following the Local Olympic Committees appointment on 28th July 2025. I caught up with the busy Chief Executive officer, Moses Bantsi, to follow up on the progress, committee objectives and impact of the Games.
“The impact is that Botswana will be known throughout the world for hosting the event. Over 60 countries will be hosted in Botswana … billions will watch the games [through television and various media platforms],” said Bantsi.
1735 international athletes will participate in the games (including the likes of Noah Lyles), 600 volunteers and 695 athletic officials will support the event. To date international 160 media broadcasters have been granted rights to cover the event and more are expected to apply.
Bantsdi said, “We want to tourism to be resuscitated, our diamonds have gone down, we need to tell people our story … the value of our synthetic diamonds … we are looking at the private sector to sponsor the event … If investors sponsor us, they will be known throughout the world … they should take advantage and advertise themselves”.
Athletics is primarily sponsored by the Government. The committee has set up a Chairman’s Appeal unit, through which the public can also donate funds to better equip the committee to host the games.
Speaking to the impact of the games and further involvement of local communities Bantsi said, “Anything that we do we will start with Tshiamo Primary School (which is adjacent to the committee’s office in Extension 12, Gaborone) … Chairman’s Appeals money will go to society for education programs.”
He stressed, “We will need funding to produce more athletes … Chairman’s Appeal will contribute to that. We took nine athletes to the last Olympic games we want to take more athletes to the next games (2028 Los Angles Olympics) … that’s why we are calling private sector to fund the event, that’s why we are saying please help us to have the event.”
Botswana has done well in Athletics considering its limited resources. The Local Committees office in Extension 12 is sparsely furnished and most professional athletes do not make a living though the proceeds of the sport. Nevertheless, the nation won bronze, silver and took the world title at the 2024 World Relay games.
Botswana has the African 400m relay record and is the second fastest nation in history after its arch-rival the United States of America and is the reigning 4 x 400m world champions following at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships.
The latter is different to the upcoming games, which rank third after the Olympic games and the World Championships, though the same athletes compete and their performance times are kept in the same record books.
