Botswana’s para-athletes earned praise after a strong showing at the World Para-Athletics Championships in India, with officials urging more support to sustain the nation’s momentum toward the 2028 Paralympics
GAZETTE REPORTER
Botswana’s Para-athletics team returned home with renewed pride and optimism after a strong showing at the World Para-Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India where Bose Mokgwathi claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 400m T13 with a personal best time of 49.66s.
His teammate, Edwin Masuge, finished sixth in the same race, clocking 51.65s, while Gloria Majaga narrowly missed the podium in the women’s 400m T13 final, finishing fourth with an impressive 1:01.30.
Against the odds
The president of Paralympics Association of Botswana (PASSOBO), Tshepo Mafereka, lauded the athletes’ performances, emphasising their achievements despite limited resources.
“We are extremely happy with the athletes’ performance, looking at how well they did, especially with the little resources that we have,” he said in a telephone interview.
“These championships were very competitive, and our athletes were up against countries with strong support systems who take para-sports very seriously.”
Building momentum
Mafereka added that achieving a podium finish and reaching the finals under such circumstances was “very commendable” and a sign of the nation’s growing potential in disability sports.
He noted that the athletes’ success represents more than medals – it’s a foundation for the future. “We have talent,” he said.
“We would go places if we had more support. This is a build-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics. We need to build on this momentum to ensure we qualify more athletes.”
Looking ahead
With renewed confidence, PASSOBO hopes that the performances in New Delhi will attract more support from the public and private sector in order to enable Botswana’s athletes to train and compete on an equal footing with their international peers.
“We are grateful,” Mafereka said. “Our athletes have shown what they can do. Now it’s time for Botswana to invest in their dreams.”