Sithembinkosi L Jiyane
Sports Reporter
www.zimgbcnews.co.zw<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200eBotswana has made sprinting literally priceless. Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo now graces the P50 banknote, unveiled during the Bank of Botswana\u2019s Golden Jubilee on September 12, 2025.
\u200e
\u200eThe limited-edition note celebrates two landmark achievements: Tebogo\u2019s historic gold medal in the men\u2019s 200m, the first ever by an African in that event, and the Botswana 4x400m relay team\u2019s silver medal, won by Bayapo Ndori, Busang Kebinatshipi, Anthony Pesela, and Tebogo himself at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
\u200e
\u200eTebogo\u2019s achievements are historic. He became Botswana\u2019s first Olympic gold medalist in track and field and the first African ever to win men\u2019s 200m Olympic gold. He also anchored the relay team to silver, running a 43.04-second leg, the second-fastest in history.
\u200e
\u200eHis victories sparked a wave of recognition: a four-bedroom house, more than 1 million pula in company rewards, bonuses exceeding $260,000, a national holiday in his name, and now, a place on the P50 banknote.
\u200e
\u200ePresident Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi even declared an afternoon day-off, celebrating Tebogo as \u201cBotswana\u2019s sensation.\u201d
\u200e
\u200eTebogo is not just a sprinter, he is a story of resilience. A new World Athletics documentary, \u201cBuilt for Speed,\u201d chronicles his journey from a tough neighborhood in Gaborone to Olympic glory.
\u200e
\u200eGrowing up in a dangerous community where many peers ended up behind bars, sport became his escape and his lifeline. Inspired by legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, Tebogo made the leap from football to track.
\u200e
\u200eReflecting on his journey from Gaborone to Olympic glory, Tebogo emphasized his mission to inspire his nation and continent. He explained that every race is about more than personal achievement, it represents Botswana, Africa, and every young dreamer striving for success.
\u200e
\u200e”I want to show the world what Botswana and Africa are capable of. Every race is for my country, for my people, and for every kid who dreams big,” Tebogo said.
\u200e
\u200eThroughout his rise, Tebogo has been guided by his longtime coach, Kebonyemodisa \u201cDose\u201d Mosimanyane, who has been by his side since the early days of his athletic career.
\u200e
\u200eEven now, Tebogo continues to compete at the highest level, attending the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he represents Botswana in both the 100m and 200m events.
\u200e
\u200eMeanwhile, Zimbabwe\u2019s sprint stars, Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu, also made Olympic history, becoming the first Zimbabweans to reach a 200m final.
\u200e
\u200e Charamba set a personal best of 19.92 seconds, and Makarawu earned top national honors.
\u200e
\u200eYet, when they returned home, the applause was muted and superficial. Only congratulatory messages awaited them\u2014no houses, no bonuses, no parades, no national holiday.
\u200e
\u200eIronically, Tapiwanashe found recognition abroad: Hobbs, New Mexico declared September 3 as \u201cTapiwanashe Makarawu Day\u201d, celebrating his 6th-place finish in the men\u2019s 100m Olympic final.
\u200e
\u200e The proclamation came from Mayor Sam Cobb at New Mexico Junior College, where Makarawu graduated in 2024.
\u200e
\u200eAs the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo continue, Charamba and Makarawu will compete again alongside marathoners Tendai Zimuto and Isaac Mpofu, triple jumper Chengatayi Mapaya, and other national representatives. They carry both the hope of medals and the weight of recognition they have yet to receive.
\u200e
\u200eBotswana has shown the world how to honor champions\u2014celebrating them in parades, cash, and now, currency. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, continues to produce elite athletes but hesitates to reward them.
\u200e
\u200eThe contrast is glaring, leaving many to ask: does Zimbabwe truly value its sports heroes, or are they only celebrated in words while the rest of the world notices their worth?
\u200e
\u200eBotswana rewards its champions like Letsile Tebogo with national holidays, houses, cash, and even currency, while Zimbabwean sprinters Charamba and Makarawu return home to only congratulations.
\u200e
\u200e Their historic achievements highlight the talent and potential of Zimbabwean athletes, but the lack of tangible recognition raises questions about how the country values its sports heroes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200eFollow Zim GBC News for Updates Sithembinkosi L JiyaneSports Reporterwww.zimgbcnews.co.zw \u200eBotswana has made sprinting literally priceless. Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo now graces the P50 banknote, unveiled during the Bank of Botswana\u2019s Golden Jubilee on September… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9289"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9291,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9289\/revisions\/9291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u200e\ud83d\udcf1 WhatsApp\/Hotline: +263 773 820 323
\u200e\ud83c\udf10 Website: www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
\u200e\ud83d\udcd8 Facebook: Zim GBC News
\u200e\ud83d\udc26 X (Twitter): @ZimGBCNews
\u200e\ud83d\udcf8 Instagram: @ZimGBCNews
\u200e\u25b6\ufe0f YouTube: Zim GBC News
\u200e
\u200eZimGBCNews | Global News On An African Perspective\u00a92025<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"