1 month ago
10
Letsile Tebogo, 21, became Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold medal winner on 8 August after he left behind USA’s Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles in the men’s 200m race at the Paris Olympics 2024. read more
 "Thousands pack stadium as Botswana celebrates first-ever Olympics gold medallist Letsile Tebogo")
Letsile Tebogo with his gold medal while celebrating the victory back home in Botswana. AFP
Letsile Tebogo, Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold medal winner, was given a grand welcome back home on Tuesday as thousands packed a stadium to celebrate and honour the sprinter. After reaching the capital Gaborone, Tebogo was escorted on a rooftop bus for an athletes parade at the National Stadium where fans packed the stands, cheered for the players, and waved the country’s blue-and-black national flag.
Tebogo, 21, became Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold medal winner on 8 August after he left behind USA’s Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles in the 200m race at the Paris Olympics 2024.
On 9 August, the people of Botswana were given the afternoon off work through a presidential decree so they could celebrate its first gold medal at the Olympics.
It was a moment to cherish for a southern African nation of 2.4 million people that’s largely made up of desert. Botswana is maybe better known for being one of the world’s top diamond producers.
30,000 Botswana citizens filled up their National Stadium to welcome Olympic Gold medalist, Letsile Tebogo back to the country.
He won the country's first Olympic Gold medal, and also won a Silver medal in the Men's 4x400m. pic.twitter.com/LGDH1jwxrg
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi gave everyone a half-day national holiday in recognition of Tebogo’s victory and to “pause and celebrate him,” his office said.
Before the 21-year-old Tebogo’s breakthrough, Botswana had won just two Olympic medals since its first Games in Moscow in 1980. They’ve all come on the track, with Nijel Amos winning silver in the 800 meters in 2012 and the men’s 4x400 relay team taking bronze at the last Olympics in Tokyo.
The Pride of Southern Africa 🙌🏾 Tebogo Letsile 🇧🇼 pic.twitter.com/Q7bqwoYbie
— 𝗢𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀𝗲 𝗠𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗲 🔥🚀 (@unclescrooch) August 13, 2024Tebogo’s gold was history for all of Africa as he became the first runner from the continent to win the Olympic title in the 200.
Botswana’s neighbor Namibia has come close before, when Frankie Fredericks won silver medals in the 100 and 200 meters at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.
With agency inputs
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
English (US) ·