Mumbai: Letsile Tebogo, the Olympic champion in the 200m from Botswana, spent his Wednesday morning engaging with over 1,000 children on the very tracks where he honed his skills during his primary school years. “The memories and flashbacks remind me of my humble beginnings, and now I find myself as a global star,” Tebogo remarked.

His rise to fame reached its pinnacle on the evening of August 8, 2024, at the Stade de France in Paris, where he clinched a remarkable gold medal in the 200m final with a time of 19.46 seconds, defeating American competitor Noah Lyles. This achievement not only marked the 21-year-old as the fifth fastest in history but also made him Botswana's first Olympic champion.

For the southern African nation, which has a population of approximately 2.5 million, this accomplishment was historic, prompting the declaration of a half-day national holiday. For their most celebrated athlete, it was a transformative moment.

Similar to how Neeraj Chopra's inaugural track and field medal at the Tokyo Olympics provided a significant boost to Indian athletics, Tebogo's gold in Paris illuminated a new path for children in Botswana, who, as he notes, often find themselves drawn into crime and substance abuse. “Everyone's life changed after that day,” Tebogo shared during a virtual press conference following his appointment as the new Kids Athletics Ambassador for World Athletics.

“It affected me, my team, and my family. I was thrilled to see many young people now eager to pursue sports—not just athletics, but any discipline—aspiring to become prominent figures in their chosen fields.”

My primary focus is on motivating myself to guide young individuals away from unlawful activities, to illuminate their paths, and to demonstrate that they can achieve success through the sports they engage in.

This mission resonates deeply with Tebogo, who has personally witnessed the challenges. Growing up in a challenging environment, he was introduced to criminal activities at an early age. “Without sports, I might have ended up as a criminal,” he reflected. “In my neighborhood, crime was prevalent, and we believed it was the only means of survival. However, sports taught me the importance of education and training, leaving little time for wandering the streets or breaking into homes. Once I realized this, I began to encourage some of my friends, who are now playing football, to join me. We often discuss what our lives might have been like had we not pursued this path.”

Like many of his peers, Tebogo initially gravitated towards football—he recalls being a left winger—until his teachers recognized his talent and steered him towards athletics. “Athletics wasn’t particularly popular in Botswana until the 2018 Commonwealth Games. My interests were primarily in football, and athletics was merely a secondary pursuit,” he explained.

However, that secondary pursuit soon became his primary focus. At the age of 18, Tebogo made history as the first man from Botswana to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m sprint. He secured consecutive gold medals in the 100m at the 2021 and 2022 World U-20 Championships, and a year later, he earned a silver medal in the 100m and a bronze in the 200m at the senior World Championships in Budapest.

His performance at last year’s Paris Olympics solidified his status as a prominent figure in global athletics. While athletes from South Africa have traditionally excelled in long-distance events, Tebogo’s recent sprinting achievements have begun to shift that perception.

In the past, it was commonly thought that the African continent primarily produced athletes excelling in long-distance events. For me, it was essential to take the initiative to demonstrate that Africa is capable of producing talent in other areas as well. "Currently, the prominence of long-distance events is gradually diminishing, which I find concerning. My goal is to achieve a balance between sprinting and long-distance running," he stated.

Rivalry with Lyles

Tebogo also made headlines during his post-final press conference by expressing that he could not represent world athletics as its face because he does not possess the "arrogance or loudness" associated with Noah Lyles. Lyles, who disclosed after the final that he had contracted Covid-19, is eager to express his views both on and off the track. Their rivalry is expected to intensify, although Tebogo added a note of camaraderie to their competition.

"We maintain a good relationship off the track. However, when we compete, it becomes a matter of business," Tebogo remarked regarding Lyles. "His confidence is beneficial for promoting our sport, as he knows how to attract attention. In contrast, I tend to be more reserved, as that reflects my personality."

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