What A Moment!
The heroic 4x400m relay team which made the country proud by bagging a Olympic Games bronze medal on Saturday is set to be rewarded handsomely for the rare feat
The heroic 4x400m relay team which made the country proud by bagging an Olympic Games bronze medal on Saturday is set to be rewarded handsomely for the rare feat.
Sprint sensation, Isaac Makwala alone is expected to rake in more than P100, 000 upon return from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The monies range from pledges by the private sector and gifts from the public.
Makwala will get a share of P40, 000 from the P250, 000 Choppies pledge. He will then receive P25, 000 for reaching the 400m final also from Choppies. Debswana Mining Company has put aside P50, 000 for the bronze.
Former Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Thapelo Olopeng has pledged a cow and a lamb for the champion. There are also many gifts that are expected to continue pouring in for Makwala.
It will not only be Makwala who walks home with heavy pockets as his teammates are also set to receive some gifts. Former President, Ian Khama has pledged a cow for each athlete. Winning a bronze medal at the Olympics opened a new chapter in Botswana athletics history books by becoming the first team to achieve the feat.
The gold medal went to United States of America with Netherlands finishing second to claim the silver. The relay was led by the team captain, Isaac Makwala accompanied by Baboloki Thebe and debutants Zibane Ngozi and Bayapo Ndori. The fairy tale started on the previous day when team began on fire during the heats and finished in the second position behind United States of America. During the heats, they set a new African record after stopping the clock at 2:58:33.
The star of the heats was Ndori as he proved to the world that he was an untapped treasure. He stamped his authority with the fastest slipt of 43.95.
Botswana last won a Olympic medal in 2012 in London and the belief this year was to go for two medals and it looked like the gold was within reach. But that was an impossible feat as the favourites, Makwala and Nijel Amos fell short in individual races.
However, Makwala told himself that he had to dig deep to make sure that he bows out with an Olympic medal. The dream finally came true in the relay. The final came on Saturday and as usual, the team had massive following from Batswana.
They had only one thing to do, which was to quench the medal thirst for the country. During the final, Makwala proved that indeed he was a seasoned campaigner, reaching the final stretch on the fastest time of 43.08. Thebe was also on his element bring a 44.07.
The team broke the African record for the second time in the final. Meanwhile, Makwala was the busiest athlete at Olympics. He proved his mettle during the men’s 400m campaign. During the heats, he stopped the clock at 44.85 to qualify for the semi finals which had the best talent in the world.
He did not let the line-up intimidate him and booked himself a spot in the final after reaching the finish line with a time of 44.59. During the final, Makwala was up against the world, not only representing his native country but Africa as a whole. He sailed home with a time of 44.94.
The one lap sensation proceeded to run three days non stop. Makwala told Sport Monitor that it was not an easy thing to do. “It was not easy,” he said. Thebe also could not believe their achievement saying he was excited to have given the country it’s second Olympic medal.
For his part, Botswana Athletics Association’s (BAA) public reations officer, Oabona Theetso said they are pleased with the performance of the team. “Breaking an African record twice and bringing home a bronze medal is something worth being celebrated,” he said. Regarding the performance of Makwala, Theetso said Makwala showed a lot of great leadership and skill.
He observed that even his teammates ran to make him happy as well. He said such spirit is needed.