The trailblazing sprinter and former world champion, Amantle Montsho, who dominated the 400m track, has left an indelible mark for Botswana's emerging generation of female runners. Her track prowess raised the bar to remarkable heights, with fans becoming accustomed to her podium-clinching displays. Montsho remains the solitary World Athletics champion ever produced by Botswana, her only miss being an Olympic medal. Hailing from the northern village of Maun, Montsho undeniably established an imposing standard for female track and field athletes.
However, recent times have witnessed a systematic decline in the performance of Botswana's female athletes, a fact painfully evident during the qualifiers for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The unexpected withdrawal of the Dominican Republic's relay team presented a golden opportunity for Botswana to field a female 4x400m relay team at the Championships.
This assembled team, featuring athletes Lydia Jele, Thomphang Basele, Obakeng Kamberuka, Gaolekanye Chikani, Galefele Moroko, and Oratile Nowe, shoulders a monumental responsibility to deliver on the grandest stage and challenge their limits, particularly with the imminent Paris 2024 Olympics. Amidst this, Oratile Nowe's inclusion via ranking qualifications in the 800m event adds a glimmer of optimism. Regrettably, the absence of Naledi Lopang, a qualified 400m runner for Budapest, creates a void in the team's lineup.
The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) has acknowledged a decline in the performance of its female runners, despite increased opportunities to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. According to the BAA, there are multiple causes behind the drop in women's performance, including administrative, technical, and athlete-related issues.
While acknowledging that progress takes time, the BAA Vice President, Oabona Theetso underscored the association's commitment to supporting female runners in international competitions, including promoting the empowerment of young women.
"We know it takes time to see real change, but we're making it happen. One of the things we're pushing for is a focus on empowering young women. We had some back-and-forth with the government about sending the relay team to Budapest, because the team once went to Kenya where they ran time that enabled them to board to Budapest. The Dominican Republic team backing out opened up a spot for us, and now we wish them to do all their best,” Theetso said.
The VP identified a lack of passion and dedication as some of the main challenges faced by female runners. They've set a goal to ensure that clubs have female athletes on their rosters. He emphasized that this is crucial for promoting gender equality in sports and providing opportunities for female athletes to excel.
“Patience is key, progress is often incremental, but we're committed to staying the course. Our approach is to take things step by step, and with persistence and determination, we're confident that we'll achieve our goals,” he added.
Meanwhile, as the Botswana 4x400 relay team gears up for their competition in Budapest this week, they are guided by the expert coaching of Chilume Chippa Ntshwarang and his assistant, Dose Mosimanyane.
