Kebonyemodisa Dose Mosimanyane, who coaches some of Botswana’s leading athletes including Letsile Tebogo and Bayapo Ndori, says a group of athletes under his guidance will begin competing earlier than in previous seasons. Speaking in a telephone interview from Maun, where he is currently based with his athletes, Mosimanyane said most of his training group has entered the pre-competition phase. “Most of my athletes are on a phase called pre competition in training, which means they are readying for competitions,” he said.
He confirmed that some athletes will open their season at the first Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) competition of the year, scheduled for January 24 in Francistown. “And some of them will take part in the competition in the first competition of the year organised by Botswana Athletics Association which is scheduled for Francistown on January 24,” he said. “Then others will join in the second competition of the season.” Mosimanyane said the decision to start competing earlier is aimed at fine-tuning athletes for major international events, including the World Athletics Relays, which will be held in Botswana between May 2 and 3.
He noted that the 2026 competition calendar differs from last season’s, with international races taking place earlier in the year, prompting adjustments in preparation and race exposure. As in previous years, some athletes under his guidance are expected to begin competing in South Africa toward the end of February and early March. The coach said a number of them will be based there for extended periods to train at high-performance centers. Botswana will host the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone on May 2 and 3, 2026, an event expected to attract elite relay teams and place the country at the center of the global athletics calendar.
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