Sport and Arts Minister Jacob Kelebeng says Batswana should recognise the sacrifices behind elite performance and stand by athletes even when results disappoint.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Sport and Arts Minister Jacob Kelebeng has urged Batswana to keep backing the country’s athletes through both victories and difficult performances, saying their sacrifices deserve recognition rather than harsh criticism.
The call follows strong performances at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where Kebinatshipi won the men’s 400m in 43.39 seconds and Letsile Tebogo finished second in the men’s 200m final in 19.76 seconds.
Sacrifice
Kelebeng said the performances should be viewed in the context of what athletes give up while representing Botswana.
“They all did well,” Kelebeng said. “What makes us even more happy is that these athletes are making loads of sacrifices for this country, and they represent us with pure passion.”
He said athletes endure significant challenges in pursuit of success and urged the public to recognise those sacrifices.
“They go through a lot to make sure they make this country proud,” Kelebeng said. “It’s really not easy.”
Kelebeng also thanked Batswana for their support and acknowledged the Botswana Athletics Association, Botswana National Sports Council, parents and coaches for their contribution to athletes’ campaigns.
He called for support to continue even when results fall short of expectations.
“Let’s keep on supporting these athletes and when they are not doing well let’s not bash them thinking that they are not doing well intentionally,” he said.
Race Plans
Kebinatshipi, meanwhile, said he was able to perform consistently by changing his approach from race to race.
“It was not hard,” he told this publication in an interview. “That’s why you saw me using different race plans in different races. Sometimes I would go hard and sometimes I would go easy, so I was well prepared.”
“I just wanted to enjoy the 400m race this season,” he said.
His varied race plans helped him manage the demands of the season while adapting to different competitions.
Fewer Races
Despite his successful campaign, Kebinatshipi said he does not expect to compete as often next season.
“I am happy with what I achieved,” he said. “Next season I’m not going to be racing that much, maybe four races.”