Africans of the Year: The men from Botswana who rewrote Africa’s track record
In Tokyo, Botswana’s relay heroes carried more than a baton.
Kevin D. Mofokeng
Moments of collective joy have felt particularly scarce this year. When four young men from Botswana stepped onto a rain-soaked track and shifted the axis of world athletics, they caused an eruption in their homeland and across Africa.
In September 2025, at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi made history by becoming the first African team ever to win a global relay title. It was a seismic achievement in their country of two million people and it rewrote Africa’s literal track record, which was previously limited to dominance in long-distance races.
The quartet’s brilliance wasn’t just their speed, but also their cohesion. Eppie’s quiet leadership set the tone with a composed first leg before Tebogo, the youngest, unleashed raw, breathtaking acceleration in the second leg. Ndori carried that momentum through his confident and assured third leg before passing the baton to Kebinatshipi, whose ferocity demonstrated that pressure does not intimidate him, but sharpens him. Across international meets their maturity and chemistry has been a standard rarely seen in relay squads.
They move together like a single argument made in four, sharp decisive sentences – precise, unshowy, relentless, and unstoppable. Their Tokyo triumph was more than a medal: it was a message that talent, discipline, and unity can elevate a small country to global prominence.
Botswana will host the World Athletics Relays in May 2026. The Fast Four will not just be defending champions. They will be mentors, role models, and symbols of a nation redefining its sporting story. From rainy tracks to the world stage, they remind us that greatness can emerge from anywhere. When it does, it electrifies the world.
"Their Tokyo triumph was more than a medal: it was a message that talent, discipline, and unity can elevate a small country to global prominence."
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