Emerging sprint stars enhance Maun’s status
Maun is slowly establishing itself as the hub of athletics, particularly sprints. Some of the renowned sprinters who originate from the village include Olympian, World Champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Amantle Montsho and sport awards double winner, Leungo Scotch.
The region’s talent conveyor belt continues to churn out more of the gifted, with the emergence of two youngsters who have qualified for the 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships. Kenya will host the competition at the Nyayo Sports Complex in Nairobi.
The championships were to be held last year but have since been postponed to August. Anthony Pesele and Boitshepiso Kelapile are stars in the making and they have started to earn their stripes.
Kelapile proved her mettle when she dominated the 100m and 200m races in the junior category during the 2021 Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) national championships that were held recently at the National Stadium in Gaborone.
She clocked 12:23 in 100m before reaching the finish line with the fastest time of 24:66 in the 200m. Kelapile said her interest in athletics started when she was a primary student at Mathiba. Her passion continued at Sedie Junior Secondary School until she completed her studies at Maun Secondary School.
“In 2019, I scooped gold in the 100m at the Botswana Games after clocking 11:85 and 24:37 in 200m taking home another gold. At junior school, I was coached by Goitseone Keadimilwe,” she said.
Kelapile’s strides took her to Eswatini during the 2019 Confederation of Southern African Schools Sports Association (COSSASA) Games. However, the going was tough for her but she still managed to win a silver medal in the 100m race, bronze in the 200m race and silver in the mixed relay. Upon her return from COSSASA, Kelapile started working with a new coach, Meleko Ndolo of Maun BDF Athletics Club.
It was under his tutelage that her speed improved. “Ndolo believes in hard work and professionalism.
He also goes the extra mile to make sure that I attend races in Gaborone. I am struggling to make ends meet because I rely on my mother alone. I have a brother with hearing and speech challenges.
It is a challenge for me because sometimes I struggle to find transport money to attend training,” Kelapile said. Another young sprint sensation, Pesele said he was introduced into athletics by a friend at Etsha Junior Secondary School.
“My friend invited me to the ground. As they went on with their paces, I started developing interest. That was the beginning of everything. During the school competition, I decided to take part in the boys 100m,” he said. But after some time, he decided to shift to 200m and 400m and his then coach gave the move the green light. “I started training in the two disciplines and I qualified for the COSSASA Games in Zimbabwe where I won a bronze in the 400m and that was my ticket to the African Junior Championships held in South Africa where I also picked another bronze. In 2019, I won the 400m gold at the Eswatini COSSASA Games,” Pesele said.
When he in Form Four, the Gumare-born sprinter started working with Ndolo. He explained that the first assignment was to prepare for the 2019 Botswana Games edition in Gaborone. He scooped silver in the 400m and qualified for the World Junior Championships in Kenya.
Pesele completed his Form Five last year at Maun Senior Secondary School. “I have been preparing for the world stage for more than a year now and I believe that I have made an improvement on my time. I am excited about this opportunity because I would be running against the best juniors in the world. So to me it never gets better than this,” Pesele said.
Pesele was on top of his game during the 2021 BAA track and field series clocking 20:82 in 200m and 45:74 in 400m. As an upcoming athlete and coming from a rural background, Pesele is struggling to make ends meet.
“Physiotherapy and gym come at a cost, but I do not have money for that. My parents try to assist me but it is tough for them because they are unemployed,” Pesele said. For his part, Maun BDF Athletics club, Ndolo said he is proud to have two athletes qualifying for the World Junior Championships. “I met Kelapile when she was still at Mathiba Primary School. It was during the 2010 Botswana Primary School Sport Association (BOPPSA) regional competition. She is a star in the making and she is talented,” he said.
Ndolo is a World Athletics (WA) Level Two coach and also a qualified Physical Education teacher (BeD-physical). When asked how he handles the challenges that his athletes face, Ndolo said he has the passion.
“Passion and patience in developing young athletes have been key in the process. It is difficult when it comes to issues of finances due to lack of sponsorship. However, there are some individuals who have been sportive this season being Mabua Mabua and Wax Fruit Investments,” Ndolo said.