Botswana has declared a national holiday to celebrate its historic victory in the men’s 4×400 metres relay at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, becoming the first African nation to win the event.
President Duma Boko, in an address from New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly, hailed the triumph as a “historic African win” and praised the quartet of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi for their remarkable achievement.
He announced that Monday, September 29, will be observed as a public holiday — a day ahead of Botswana’s Independence Day celebrations.
In a rain-soaked final on Sunday, Botswana edged out the United States, who had won the last ten world titles in the event, while South Africa secured bronze.
“I’ll be sure to tell everyone, Botswana’s natural diamonds are not just in the ground, they are our World Champion athletes,” President Boko said, describing the moment as “electric” and a symbol of the country’s rising global stature.
The southern African nation capped the championships with its best-ever medal haul, finishing fifth overall with two golds, one silver, and one bronze — behind only the US, Kenya, the Netherlands, and Canada.
This latest feat builds on Botswana’s growing athletics pedigree. Last year, Letsile Tebogo made history by winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200m at Paris 2024 — also the first time an African had won the event. His homecoming sparked nationwide celebrations, with tens of thousands filling Gaborone’s National Stadium after the government declared a half-day holiday in his honor.
President Boko said Sunday’s victory would likewise be remembered as a defining chapter in Botswana’s sporting and national history.
