30 Mar 2025

Botswana continues to cement its dominance in the 400m event, as three athletes made a podium finish at the 2025 Maurie Plant Meet-World Athletics Continental Tour in Australia on Saturday.

Botswana fielded four athletes in the 400m race who did not disappoint at a fully packed Lakeside Stadium, as Bayapo Ndori hit the finish line first with a time of 45.14. Second position went to Olympic 200m champion, Letsile Tebogo with Season Best time of 45.26. Leungo Scotch did not drop the ball and ensured that Botswana made a clean sweep, with 45.60, while the country’s hurdles specialist, Victor Ntweng clocked 46.74 to finish in eighth position.

The four athletes under Italian-based, Rosa Associate Management, are both coached by Kebonyemodisa ‘Dose’ Mosimanyane, who said the race went well.

 “The mission has been completed. The goal was to come here and have an idea of where we are in terms of readiness for the World Relays, which will be held in Guangzhou, China in May,” he said.

He said he was happy that the athletes did not disappoint, but gave their best as they pushed for 45 lower, the feat he said he was happy with, as it showed their resilience.

“But we would have loved a sub 45, but the weather conditions in Australia was not favourable on the day, as it was very cold, so we knew that the times were not going to be good,” he said.

“These guys ran two 45 lows, and one 45 mid and if the weather was favourable, Bayapo and Letsile were we going to run sub 45, while Scotch was going to clock a low 45,” he added.

He said the race outcome was a testament that this was a team that could be taken to the World Relays, as it was, without fine-tuning it.

He further said preparations for the 2025 World Relays were shaping up well. “I am happy the athletes are in this kind of shape,” he said. Ends