Monday 22nd September 2025
by inAfrika Newsroom
Botswana relay holiday has been set for Monday, Sept 29, to honour the men’s 4×400 metres world champions, the presidency announced. The decision follows Botswana’s historic relay gold at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The country becomes the first African nation to win the men’s 4x400m at a global championship. President Duma Gideon Boko praised the quartet’s achievement and framed the day off as a national salute to elite performance.
The office of the president confirmed the one-day public holiday for Sept 29. Schools, public institutions and most offices will close. Essential services will operate under holiday schedules. Officials said the holiday recognizes the team’s impact on national pride and youth sport. It also gives communities time to hold events for the athletes when they return. The decision mirrors a holiday last year after Letsile Tebogo’s Olympic 200m title, signalling a pattern of state recognition for standout sporting results.
Botswana’s team—Collen Kebinatshipi, Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo and Bayapo Ndori—won a dramatic, rain-hit final in Tokyo, beating the United States and South Africa. Kebinatshipi, who also took the 400m individual gold, anchored the relay and sealed the victory in the last metres. Officials described the race as a test of clean baton work under pressure. Analysts credited Botswana’s deeper 400m bench and the athletes’ ability to handle wet conditions. The performances cap a multi-year build that pushed relay exchanges and pacing strategy to the centre of national sprint planning.
The holiday underlines sport’s growing weight in Botswana’s public life. It rewards a team that has lifted the country’s profile and inspired mass interest in track. It also supports a practical message: funding, coaching and data-driven training can produce world titles from a small talent pool. Local federations expect a surge in youth sign-ups after the celebration. University and club coaches plan open sessions during the long weekend to channel that interest.
Economically, a one-day closure will slow some activity. Officials argue the goodwill and global exposure offset short-term costs. The administration also sees a link between winning teams and wider goals, including tourism and event hosting. Track officials say the relay program will stay focused on clean exchanges and depth, with an eye on next season’s indoor campaign and the 2026 outdoor calendar. Kebinatshipi’s double—relay gold and individual 400m gold—gives coaches options as they plan lineups for championships and circuit meets.
For the region, the result changes expectations. Botswana’s win shows African teams can break through in a relay long dominated by the United States and Europe. It may also shift selection strategies in neighbouring federations, where the best 200m runners sometimes skip the 4x400m. With a national holiday set, the team returns to a country ready to celebrate a Botswana relay holiday built on precision, speed and composure in a high-pressure final.
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