Both the National Stadium and the University of Botswana stadium will be ready for the Lefika International Relays on March 28.
The stadia will be also used for the upcoming World Athletics Relays and were expected to be certified by the world athletics body before the May 2-3 event.
This was said by World Athletics Relays Gaborone26 chief executive officer, Moses Bantsi during a press conference hosted by Lefika Athletics Club, ahead of the Lefika International Relays.
Also, at the event, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two organisers, and Bantsi said they found it fitting to sign a MoU since the Lefika Relays would be used as a dry run for the World Relays.
Already, the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 have signed an MoU with the 2026 Botswana Golden Grand Prix planned for April 26.
He said they would use the two events to gauge their readiness for the World Relays.
While eight countries had confirmed their participation in next week’s event, Lefika Athletics Club chairperson, Thari Mooketsi, said they were still faced with financial challenges as they only managed to attract a few sponsors.
The eight countries which had confirmed participation, he said, were Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Poland.
He said their intention was to host a memorable event. Therefore, he has called on the nation to support them by buying tickets on time and attend the event in large numbers.
He said the objective of hosting the Lefika International Relays was to bring Southern Africa and Africa together as well as to show the world that Botswana was an athletics hub.
Botswana Athletics Association acting vice president Oabona Theetso said, as a federation, they were happy that one of their clubs was hosting a high-profile meet, which was also used as a qualifier.
He said the qualifying period for the World Athletics Relays would close at the end of this month, saying while some nations would be using the Lefika Relays to prepare for the May 2-3 spectacle, others will be vying for qualification.
“This is also an opportunity for teams and athletes to showcase their talent on March 28,” he said. BOPA
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