- In a season that delivered world titles and quiet affirmation, Chilume Ntshwarang emerged not just as a winning coach, but as Botswana athletics’ steady hand at the summit
GAZETTE REPORTER
Some seasons announce themselves loudly; others reveal their meaning only in hindsight. For Chilume Ntshwarang, this has been a year of substance rather than spectacle. At the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Botswana secured three medals, and Ntshwarang stood at the centre of it all – not only as Collen Kebinatshipi’s personal coach, but as head coach of the national athletics team.
Gold for the men’s 4x400m relay, bronze for Bayapo Ndori in the 400m, and gold for Kebinatshipi marked one of Botswana’s finest championship returns. Lee Eppie’s progression into the final added depth to the success. Together, they told a broader story of structure, belief and leadership.
Authority With Calm
“I’m very happy, I feel that it’s a big achievement to be a coach to the world championship and a milestone to have a world champion and two finalists,” Ntshwarang says. The words matter, but so does the restraint. As head coach, he carried the weight of collective expectation; as a personal coach, he carried history, particularly with Kebinatshipi, whom he has guided since his early years.
Yet there is no indulgence in triumph. “No pressure,” he insists. “We know the reality on the ground, even the athletes that are not under pressure to achieve more going forward.” It is a philosophy that prioritises longevity over immediacy, and it has defined his year.
Standards Over Noise
Ntshwarang’s success has been built on consistency, not hype. Whether overseeing a relay team, managing elite quarter-milers, or nurturing finalists, his focus has remained unchanged: maintaining standards in an environment that often demands constant escalation.
Preparation for the next season is already underway. “Yes we have started preparing for the next season. So far so good, no problem, the preparations are well, no challenges,” he says. Athletes are expected to begin racing between March and April, a measured return designed to protect form and confidence.
As the year closes, Ntshwarang stands as one of Botswana’s best coaches not because of what he has won, but because of how he has led. Calm in success, grounded in reality, he has shaped a season that will endure beyond the medals.
“The big thing is to be consistent and keep the standard.”