BONGANI MALUNGA
The Botswana men’s 4x400m relay team recorded yet another podium finish in an international competition as they grabbed a silver medal in the men’s 4x400m final at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The quartet of Leungo Scotch, Bayapo Ndori, Anthony Pesela and Zibane Ngozi managed to finish second to finish behind Trinidad and Tobago in the final.
Ndori for the win
Botswana finished with a time of 3:01.85. Scotch started the race for Botswana and he handed off the baton in the sixth place. Ngozi then improved Botswana’s position as he surged past his competitors to assume the third position.
His impressive surge was crucial to the team’s success as he ensured that he kept Botswana in contention for a podium finish. Pesela then maintained Botswana’s third spot in the race before making a lung busting sprint to speed past Jamaica’s Jevaughn Powell to assume the second spot. Pesela then handed the baton to Ndori who then cemented Botswana’s second place as he maintained a steady run that kept him close to winning the race.
A bit short of the 2018 gold
The current team’s silver medal is an impressive medal haul bearing in mind the tough start they had in the final due to being placed in the notorious lane four. The fourth lane requires runners to turn their pace against a curve and this is usually tough. Botswana’s class of 2022 did not manage to emulate their 2018 predecessors (Isaac Makwala, Onkabetse Nkobolo,Leaname Maotoanong and Baboloki Thebe) who won a gold medal in the 2018 Gold Coast edition.