23 Feb 2025

Every dog has its day, they say, and soon it will be the mighty Greyhound’s day, when the kennel will have its lovers watch their favourite sprinters as they kick start the dogs’ open season next month in Mmopane.

Botswana Greyhound Association (BGA) secretary, Nathaniel Nlanda confirmed that their first pre-season race would be in Mmopane. 

The last season ended September 2024 in Bobonong.

 “From September to date, our dogs have been on rest. Now we are starting in Mmopane, and should the Serowe team fix their track on time, we will also go there for subsequent competitions,” he said.

He said they prefer to start and end the season towards winter when the weather is cool because Greyhound enjoyed such temperatures and were favourable for effective competition.

Nlanda said their calendar was fully packed, also with young and new entrants this season.

“We also look at dogs that are graduating from under Under-+18 to seniors in the male and female categories,” he said.

Furthermore, Nlanda said spectators could look for the graduating dogs in the likes of Chilibaba from Mandla Kennels, Fly and Flame from Tasco Kennels, Justin of Abel Kennels and Themba Rose of Van Zayl Kennels.

Open champions for last year are Richking of Nlanda Kennels, while runner ups were Hurricane and Call Me Tonight, both from Abel Kennels.

“The Cross Category Champion Open are Washington DC from Nlanda and You Kennels,” he said.

While dog racing is relatively new in Botswana, such countries as Ireland have been involved in greyhound racing ever since 1927. 

Botswana caught up with the rest of the world in 2014 when Johnson Petso, Piet Gabosekwe, Kebone Sephatla, Oarabile Simon and Brendan Tautsagae registered BGA. ENDS