1 hour agoAmos unveils plan to reform athletics development

Nigel Amos, the 2012 London Olympic silver medalist, has announced a bold, long-term plan to transform youth athletics development in Botswana and across Southern Africa. Through the launch of the TATAMILAWOLOTO Track Klub and the United Youth Athletics League (UYAL), Amos aims to create a structured system that nurtures future elite athletes while addressing persistent gaps in junior athletics programs throughout the region. At 32, the former 800-meter specialist draws on years of international competition and coaching experience to shape this initiative.

“After spending my entire professional career as an athlete outside the country, I have gained extensive experience both as an elite athlete and as a high-performance head coach,” Amos toldWeekendSport. His time abroad, including a stint as head coach of Iran’s national athletics team, exposed him to top-tier performance systems that prioritize discipline, structure, and consistency. Amos, who earned Botswana’s first-ever Olympic medal, is now determined to channel that expertise into building sustainable athletics structures back home.

The TATAMILAWOLOTO Track Klub will operate as a professional academy, offering specialized high-performance training programs for athletes aged 9 to 24. The academy’s focus will span technical development, conditioning, discipline, sports science, and long-term preparation for elite competition. Complementing the academy, Amos is launching the United Youth Athletics League, which he describes as an inclusive regional competition platform designed to unite athletes from diverse backgrounds.

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“TATAMILAWOLOTO Track Klub is an academy that offers high professional training programmes for athletes aged between nine and 24, while UYAL is a league that brings together youth athletes inclusively from out-of-school, public school, private school and para-athletics structures across the region,” Amos explained. One of the biggest challenges facing athletics in Botswana and the wider region, Amos noted, is the lack of clear, sustainable pathways to transition athletes from grassroots levels to elite performance. “The vision of UYAL is to create a structured development and competition pathway for young athletes.

Too many talented athletes in our region are lost due to lack of clear pathways from junior development to elite-level structures,” he said. The league is designed to fill this void by providing consistent, performance-driven competition, enabling athletes to develop steadily and reach elite standards. “UYAL is designed to bridge this gap by providing a performance-based league where athletes can compete regularly, develop consistently and progress toward elite standards,” Amos emphasized.

But the initiative extends beyond competition. Amos stressed that instilling discipline, creating opportunities, and fostering long-term development are core goals. “This initiative is not only about sport performance, but also about building discipline, opportunity and long-term athlete development.

It aims to ensure that talent is properly nurtured and given a platform to succeed,” he added. Amos’s vision reaches beyond Botswana’s borders, with plans underway to expand UYAL throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. “UYAL will also expand into the SADC region, creating cross-border competition opportunities.

The current development plan includes expansion into countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe, with the long-term goal of establishing a regional athletics competition structure across Southern Africa,” he revealed. The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) has embraced the partnership for the 2026 UYAL Youth Athletics Series and related development efforts. BNOC Chief Executive Officer Dorothy Tlagae Gaseitswe praised UYAL’s structured approach to youth athletics and its dedication to Olympic values, clean sport, and discipline.

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