Team Botswana crowned a remarkable campaign at the Southern African Championships (SACA) U18/U20 Championships in Mauritius by finishing top of the medal standings with 20 medals, following another dominant display on the final day of competition.
According to the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA), the national team added nine medals on the second and final day of the championships, bringing its overall tally to 10 gold, three silver and seven bronze medals.
The performance capped a highly successful outing for Botswana’s emerging athletics stars, who consistently challenged for podium positions across sprint, middle-distance, hurdles, jumps and relay events throughout the two-day competition.
Botswana opened the final day’s medal account through Ludo Star Mbekwa, who secured gold in the Women’s U20 Long Jump with a leap of 5.51 metres.
Middle-distance runner Lebogang Mugagu also enjoyed a productive campaign. After winning silver in the Men’s U20 1,500m on day one, he returned to the podium on the final day with bronze in the Men’s U20 800m, recording a time of 1 minute 56.55 seconds.
The field events continued to yield success for the team as Agang Magang produced a personal best clearance of 1.95 metres to claim bronze in the Men’s U20 High Jump, underlining the country’s growing strength beyond the track disciplines.
On the track, Jayden Mathambo added another medal to Botswana’s tally, securing bronze in the Men’s U20 400m hurdles after clocking 55.59 seconds. The medal followed his silver-medal performance in the 110m hurdles on the opening day, making him one of Botswana’s multiple medallists at the championships.
Middle-distance runner Lebogang Mugagu also enjoyed a productive campaign. After winning silver in the Men’s U20 1,500m on day one, he returned to the podium on the final day with bronze in the Men’s U20 800m, recording a time of 1 minute 56.55 seconds.
Botswana’s sprinters once again proved to be among the team’s strongest assets, delivering a series of gold-medal performances.
Game Onneile, who won bronze in the Women’s U18 100m on the opening day, was elevated from second place to gold in the Women’s U18 200m after finishing in 25.65 seconds. Although the race was run with a wind reading of +3.2 metres per second, the victory further highlighted her potential as one of Botswana’s rising sprint talents.
In the Men’s U20 200m, Junior Phatsima continued his outstanding championships by storming to victory in 20.97 seconds. The gold medal added to his triumph in the 400m and his contribution to Botswana’s victorious 4x100m relay team on day one, making him one of the standout performers of the championships.
Bokang Isang also completed a successful campaign by winning gold in the Men’s U18 200m in 21.14 seconds. The victory came after he had secured bronze in the 100m on the opening day.
The women’s sprint programme produced another golden moment through Same Mhutsiwa, who captured her second individual title of the championships by winning the Women’s U20 200m in 24.30 seconds. Her victory followed her gold-medal performance in the Women’s U20 100m, cementing her status as one of the competition’s premier sprint athletes.
Several athletes distinguished themselves with multiple medals during the championships. Phatsima claimed individual and relay gold medals, Mhutsiwa completed a sprint double in the 100m and 200m, while Mathambo and Mugagu secured medals in more than one event. Wazha Matakule not only contributed to relay success but also achieved qualification for the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon after meeting the qualifying standard in the Men’s U20 100m.
The championships concluded on a high note for Botswana when the Mixed U20 4x100m relay team of Wazha Matakule, Oarabile Hines, Jack Newman and Same Mhutsiwa raced to gold in 45.24 seconds.
The relay triumph was a fitting end to a campaign that showcased Botswana’s depth across various disciplines and age categories.
Several athletes distinguished themselves with multiple medals during the championships. Phatsima claimed individual and relay gold medals, Mhutsiwa completed a sprint double in the 100m and 200m, while Mathambo and Mugagu secured medals in more than one event. Wazha Matakule not only contributed to relay success but also achieved qualification for the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon after meeting the qualifying standard in the Men’s U20 100m.
The BAA said Botswana’s final tally of 20 medals, comprising 10 gold, three silver and seven bronze medals, was enough to secure first place on the overall medal table, underlining the country’s growing reputation as a regional athletics powerhouse.
The strong performances in Mauritius are expected to provide a significant boost for Botswana’s youth athletics programme and offer encouragement ahead of future continental and global competitions, including the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon next year.
