Botswana: The inaugural First National Bank (FNB) Botswana Golden Grand Prix delivered beyond expectations to the track and field fans and organisers. This was history in the making as the world’s best athletes gathered in Botswana to make a statement as they competed at this year’s World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting held at the national stadium in Gaborone yesterday.
The much competitive 100m men’s race between local athlete Tebogo Schoolboy Letsile, Brown Aaron from Canada, Ferdinard Omanyala from Kenya, and Blake Jerome from the USA; was won by the African fastest man Omanyala from Kenya with 9.78 seconds; while Tebogo came second.
Terry Twanisha from the USA cruised to the finishing line first to win the women’s 100m race. In another explosive encounter, Tebogo Letsile used the home crowd advantage to keep local and international spectators high on the excitement as he won the 200m men’s race in front of Andre De Grasse of Canada, Joseph Fahnbullen of Liberia and Ogando Alexander of the Dominican Republic.
Another race that left spectators in awe was the 200m women’s race which was won by the American Kayla White ahead of her fellow countryman Sha’Carri Richardson. In the 400m women, Mary Moraa of Kenya was too fast for her competitors as she hit the finish line first. The Kenyan men’s team sealed the encounter with a win for the men relay 4x100m relay.
The event was broadcast live across 150 countries. The international meeting organiser Mr Glody Dube explained that as the committee, they have been working to bring the continental golden grand prix to Botswana for the past eleven years. This was a dream come true for the committee, sponsors and the country.
