GOLDEN HONOUR: Botswana thanks Olympic hero Tebogo with a house, millions in cash

THE government of Botswana has bestowed a special honour to and showered Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo gifts running into millions.

After a special holiday was declared in his honour, the Parliament of Botswana held a special sitting to honour Letsile, who did not become the first Motswana and African to win a gold medal in 200m but set an African record. Tebogo ran the race in honour of his mother Seratiwa, who passed away two months ago.

At the special Parliamentary sitting, Tumiso Rakgare, Botswana’s Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture announced, that, in recognition of Tebogo’s historic feat, he would receive, among others:

• P25 000.00 for the Top 8 finish in the 100m race
• P50 000.00 for setting an African record in 200m
• A housing unit in a place of his choice in Botswana for the podium finish 
• P 1,000,000.00 
• P 2,500.00 worth of groceries for 12 months from Choppies. 
• P30, 000.00 qualification bonus

Rakgare said Tebogo has been receiving a P8,333.33 monthly upkeep stipend since his qualification, as well as P 5,000.00 appearance fee

The Minister said: “Today we stand united in joy and pride as we honor the remarkable achievements of Team Botswana, especially Letsile Schoolboy Tebogo, the first Motswana to win an Olympic gold medal and the first African to win a Gold medal in the 200m event at the Olympic Games. Congratulations Schoolboy, Congratulations Team Botswana.

“Team Botswana’s triumph at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is not just a personal victory but a victory for every Motswana and African. In particular, Letsile has shown us the power of determination, resilience and belief in oneself. His performance on the global stage has inspired not only upcoming athletes, but many young people in our nation and indeed the continent to dream big and to work hard to turn those dreams into reality. Letsile’s journey to this moment has not been easy. It has been filled with countless hours of training, sacrifices, and overcoming personal challenges. Yet, through it all, he has demonstrated unwavering commitment and an unyielding spirit. His stellar performance in Paris, against the world’s best, is a testament to his extraordinary talent and dedication.” 

Rakgare also paid a warm tribute to Tebogo’s mother. 

He said: “Letsile’s success is a collective triumph that has been built on the foundation of support and encouragement from those around him. Who would ever forget the unwavering support and cheerleading Letsile’s mother gave during his races, from travelling with the youngster around the world to managing his diet and character, Letsile’s mother is an angel looking down on him with pride and joy.”LETSILE Tebogo started the 2024 Paris Olympics with one goal in mind – to run the best race of his life in honour of his mother, Seratiwa Tebogo, who passed away in May.

On Thursday evening, in a packed Stade de France and with billions watching on TV, Tebogo paid a golden tribute to his mom by winning Africa’s first Olympic gold in the 200m final. He beat strong opposition, including Olympic 100m gold medalist Noah Lyles and fellow American Kenneth Bednarek, who earned a back-to-back Olympic silver medal after coming second.

Tebogo’s heroics followed his daring silver medal finish at the IAAF World Championship in Budapest, where he clocked 9.88 seconds in the 100m. This victory at the world championships was equally historic, as it was the first time an African sprinter finished in a medal position at a major global championship event.

Olympic glory was the culmination of consistent achievement from the 21-year-old sprinter, who has been in fine form over the past two years. In 2022, he broke the IAAF under-20 championship records in both the 100m (9.91s) and the 200m (19.96s).

Tebogo’s triumph was met with wild celebrations in Botswana and across the rest of Africa.