Gaborone: Botswanan Minister of Sport and Arts Jacob Kelebeng expressed his delight over Botswana’s having been awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 World Athletics Relays. Global athletics body, World Athletics, has confirmed that the African nation will host the prestigious event, scheduled to take place on May 2-3, 2026.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Kelebeng shared his excitement on social media, congratulating the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) for achieving this milestone. This marks the first time Botswana will host a senior world event in any sport and the first time the World Athletics Relays will take place on African soil. The announcement was made by World Athletics president Sebastian Coe following a council meeting in Nanjing, China.
The event will be hosted in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, as confirmed by a World Athletics press release. Hosting this world event signifies a major milestone in Botswana’s rise in athletics and coincides with the country’s 60th Independence celebrations in 2026.
Botswana’s men’s 4x400m relay team is a strong contender in the event. They are the reigning world relay champions, having won gold at the 2024 event in the Bahamas and concluding their season with an Olympic silver medal. The team has secured three world relay medals, including a bronze, a silver, and a gold. Preparations are already underway to defend their title at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, with reigning Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo expected to remain part of the team.