This photo taken on April 29, 2023 shows Letsile Tebogo (C) competing in the men's 200m match at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone, Botswana. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
GABORONE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Botswana will send a total of 14 athletes to participate at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the country's Chef de Mission Oreeditse Marakakgoro announced on Wednesday.
"I will be traveling with 14 competitive and highly profiled athletes from the two national federations of athletics and swimming; the team consists of 12 males and 2 females," said Marakakgoro during a send-off ceremony in Gaborone, Botswana.
Since July 4, the team has been training to prepare for the Olympics, especially local athletes who are not competing abroad, she said. The team left for France on Thursday to acclimatize ahead of the Games.
Botswana is pinning hopes on Letsile Tebogo. At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the 20-year-old became the first African male to win a global medal in the 100m, finishing second. He also took a bronze medal in the 200m.
Tumiso Rakgare, Botswana's Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, emphasized the government's support for the athletes. "It is indeed our duty to ensure that our elite athletes are able to compete on par with elite athletes from all four corners of the world."
This will be Botswana's 12th Olympic Games. The southern African country took its first Olympic medal in 2012, with Nigel Amos taking silver in the 800m, and the men's 4x400 relay squad took bronze at Tokyo 2020. ■
This photo taken on April 29, 2023 shows Letsile Tebogo celebrating after winning the men's 200m match at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone, Botswana. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
