Comment: In Letsile Tebogo, Botswana may have produced the next Usain Bolt
The desert nation of Botswana has produced world- class track and field athletes including former world champion Amantle Montsho ( 400), Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos ( 800m), and the 4x400m Olympic team that won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The all- conquering track and field talent has been a marvel to watch over the years but the most influential athletes have either retired or are in the last legs of their careers. For many critics and observers of local track and field, the Botswana Athletics Association ( BAA) assembly line was not producing enough world- beating athletes over the years.
However, many track and field athletes from Botswana and abroad were not ready for a bolt of lightning that would strike international track and field in the form of a lanky and brash teenager, Letsile Tebogo.
This past Wednesday Tebogo set the 100m category ablaze when he recorded a blistering 9.91 seconds setting an under 20 record at the ongoing World Athletics Championships and beating his record of 9.96 sec at the games held in Cali, Colombia.
The world of athletics was expecting the local lad to show them something special after recording impressive times in the heats with a time of 10: 00 seconds at the ongoing World Athletics Championships.
Of late, Tebogo has been a sensation to watch. He is the World U20 record holder with his personal best of 9.94s, achieved at the World Athletics Championships 2022 in Oregon, last month.
On Monday this week, building up to the finals the teenager got away from the field early into the contest, easing through the finishing line as he did in Oregon.
As of Wednesday morning, this week Tebogo has been trending on social media platforms across the world including Twitter and Facebook.
The young sprinter has even caught the eye of the legendary Usain Bolt of Jamaica, which catapulted Tebogo’s brand into the stratosphere.
Nevertheless, Tebogo who may have competed in his last race as a junior still has a lot of work ahead of him as he will now face the fastest human beings on the planet in future events.
As things stand, it might be too early to tell but most track and field fans and observers believe they may have found the next Usain Bolt in Tebogo. Bolt also certainly seems to think so judging by his reaction to Tebogo.
Speaking in an interview before Tebogo shattered his own record earlier this week, Botswana Athletic Association ( BAA) Vice President Administration, Theetso Oabona said Tebogo has proved that he is a very good athlete.
“He is always calm and willing to push for better times.
As BAA, we are very proud of him and wish that he stays focused and disciplined,” he said.
Oabona stressed that the youngster should remain focused and levelheaded.
“He must remain focused. The world is full of bad people and some of them include sports administrators, other athletes, journalists, government officials, and so on.”