Botswana declares the holiday for the world “historic” Male Relay athletics championships

Botswana declared a public holiday to celebrate the country’s victory in the 4×400 male meters at the world athletics championships in Tokyo, the African first nation to win the event.

President Duma Boko praised the gold medal as a “historic African victory”, in an online address renting the team for their performance.

He announced on Monday September 29 as a vacation to celebrate success – a day before the country’s independence day.

On Sunday, the Botswana team from Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi has ahead of the United States, the winners of the last 10 world titles, in a rain race. South Africa has taken third position.

“I will not fail to tell everyone that the natural diamonds of Botswana are not only in the ground, it is our world champion athletes,” said the president, speaking of New York where he attends the United Nations General Assembly.

He described the moment as “electric”, adding that Botswana’s performance spoke to his growing stature on the world scene.

The southern African nation ended fifth in the general classification in the championship medals – behind the United States, Kenya, the Netherlands and Canada – their best return after taking two gold medals, money and bronze.

Last year, Botswana celebrated another historic stage while Tebogo won the country’s first Olympic gold medal with its male 200m victory in Paris.

His triumph, which also marked the first time that an African athlete has won the event, has become a national feeling, with tens of thousands of people celebrating it at the National Stade of the Capital, Gaborone, after his return to the country.

The government has declared a half -day vacation allowing citizens to “take a break and celebrate it” – what the president of the time, Mokgweetsi Masisi, described as a “most unique way … which will be engraved in the annals of the history of the Republic”.