President Mokgweetsi Masisi has declared Tuesday, August 13, 2024, afternoon a public holiday as Botswana prepares to welcome home sprinter Letsile Tebogo, who won the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. Tebogo’s victory in the 200m at the Paris Olympics marks a historic achievement for the southern African nation.
In a statement, President Masisi expressed pride in Tebogo’s accomplishment, saying, “This is a momentous occasion for Botswana. Letsile Tebogo’s victory is not just a personal triumph but a national one. We are immensely proud of him and the entire Olympic team for bringing glory to our nation.”
The Botswana Olympic team, which also secured a silver medal in the men’s 4x400m relay, was set to return on Tuesday. Tebogo, 21, made history by becoming the first African to win the men’s 200m, clocking an African record time of 19.46 seconds to beat Americans Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles on August 8.
President Masisi had previously granted a half-day holiday on August 9 for the country’s 2.3 million citizens to celebrate Tebogo’s triumph. The president will personally welcome the Olympic team at the airport.
Tebogo is only the second African athlete to win an Olympic medal in the men’s 200m, following Namibian Frankie Fredericks, who took silver in Atlanta in 1996. Botswana’s first Olympic medal was won at the 2012 London Games when Nijel Amos took silver in the 800m. The men’s 4x400m relay team also brought home bronze from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
