Botswana has declared a public holiday to celebrate its men\u2019s 4x400m relay team\u2019s stunning victory at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo \u2014 making it the first African nation ever to win the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a national address, President Duma Boko described the triumph as a \u201chistoric African win\u201d, praising the athletes for their resilience and record-breaking performance. He announced Monday, 29 September as a public holiday, a day before the country\u2019s independence celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team \u2014 made up of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi \u2014 pulled off a dramatic upset, defeating the United States, who had dominated the event for the past decade. South Africa secured the bronze medal in the rain-soaked final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking from New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly, President Boko lauded the athletes as Botswana\u2019s \u201cnatural diamonds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis victory was electric. It shows that Botswana\u2019s diamonds are not just in the ground, but on the track in the form of our world champion athletes. Their performance reflects our growing place on the global stage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The medal capped a historic outing for Botswana, which finished fifth overall in the medal standings with two golds, one silver, and one bronze \u2014 the country\u2019s best-ever showing at a World Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not the first time Botswana has stopped the nation for sporting triumphs. Just last year, Letsile Tebogo captured the country\u2019s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the men\u2019s 200m in Paris \u2014 also the first time an African athlete had won the event. That victory sparked nationwide celebrations, with tens of thousands gathering to welcome him home in Gaborone. The government declared a half-day holiday in his honor, a moment former President Mokgweetsi Masisi described as \u201cetched in the annals of the Republic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Botswana\u2019s latest win cements its rising reputation as a force in global athletics and a source of pride for the African continent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Botswana has declared a public holiday to celebrate its men\u2019s 4x400m relay team\u2019s stunning victory at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo \u2014 making it the first African nation ever to win the event. In a national address, President Duma Boko described the triumph as a \u201chistoric African win\u201d, praising the athletes for their resilience […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8864,"featured_media":40759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,102],"tags":[9233,2258,9235,9234,9232,9231],"class_list":["post-40758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-sports","tag-bayapo-ndori","tag-botswana","tag-busang-collen-kebinatshipi","tag-lee-bhekempilo-eppie","tag-letsile-tebogo","tag-president-duma-boko"],"yoast_head":"\n