Gaborone — The air in Kgale View, Gaborone sizzled with anticipation yesterday, as 2024 Paris Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo received the keys to a brand-new house, a gift befitting his golden performance and celebration of a historic achievement that had put Botswana on the global map.
The Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng, handed over the three-bedroom property, valued at P2.1 million and sitting on a 562-square-metre plot.
The handover, cemented government’s commitment of fulfilling its pledge to reward exceptional sporting achievement.
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“This is a promise made to the athletes that anyone who does exceptionally well and brings home a medal will be awarded accordingly,” Minister Kelebeng said.
He highlighted the collaborative effort behind the gesture, which included the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), the ministry and the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC), who worked seamlessly with developer, Time Projects to ensure that the house was completed on schedule and tailored to the athlete’s needs.
The Minister praised Tebogo as a household name both locally and internationally and emphasised that his unprecedented success continued to inspire many young Batswana athletes to dream beyond limits.
Tebogo, whose blistering pace shattered records in Paris and made history as Africa’s first-ever 200m Olympic gold medallist, accepted the honour with grace and gratitude.
He acknowledged that the gesture not only recognised his past victory, but strengthened his determination to keep excelling on the global stage.
Tebogo also shared a message from his teammates that elicited applause from the attendees.
“I have also been sent by the other athletes to tell you, Minister, to prepare more houses, because more wins are coming back home,” said the Olympic champion.
Botswana Athletics Association acting president, Oabona Theetso, said the reward would serve as a strong motivational tool ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, adding that athletes were determined to raise the national medal tally.
He acknowledged that the bar had been set and said, “I will be very happy this time around if a female athlete becomes the next recipient of a house. ENDS
BOPA