Sportspeople from Botswana

"You must have goals and set targets to achieve them."

"Refrain from things that will ruin your career."

"Invest for the future and do not lose focus. In life you should know what you want then it will not be easy for someone to shift your focus."

"It was always exciting to represent my country on the international stage. Imagine the adrenaline rush when I step on the track knowing that all eyes are on me. That made it extra special. I had fans from all over the world but the support back home was the best"

"There is no Amantle Montsho without the people"

"Age has caught up, and only God knows how much my heart fills with excitement for every moment I represented Botswana and Africa at large"

"To taste God’s air, the adrenaline rush on track, thousands of people all eyes on me, fans chanting a name not friendly to a foreign tongue, ‘It’s Amantle Moncho from Botswana!"

"My passion for swimming started at a very tender age. I used to swim at my mom’s workplace at the Grand Palm, and it was mainly for fun. But the love developed and I took it from there.I got an opportunity to go to the USA to study and do professional swimming by emailing a couple of Universities. So many University coaches wanted me to be in their respective teams. I got enrolled at Florida, and everything transitioned quickly as I was introduced to impressive training facilities, a coach, physical therapy and sports psychology which played a vital role in my performance as a swimmer."

"The atmosphere of the Olympics was out of this world. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It is an empowering experience and something I will forever cherish being surrounded by some of the best athletes in the world. I was very nervous for the entire time I was there though. It can be overwhelming and often you doubt yourself. But overall an amazing experience."

"I wanted to dispel the myth that we as women cannot do what men can."

"I wanted my father to witness my success, especially at the Olympics. He risked being expelled from the church and called names by some people who were against my pursuing of weightlifting."

"I have started light training with the advice of my coach. I feel no pain in the angle now but I will take it slowly as per the program."

"The injury has affected my year activities as I missed on international competitions and representing my country. However, it’s part of the sport, I aim to come a better person and take off where I left."

"Obviously I want to compete in the Diamond League. It is the crème de la crème in athletics and having one Motswana (Montsho) competing there has given us hope. We have to work harder and stay disciplined to achieve it"

"Records are meant to be broken."

"I still have to focus because this was just a start of what will happen in the next 10 years, looking at my age."

"This is my first title, and it feels crazy. I'm proud of our progress as a nation and as a continent."

"The semi-final showed me that anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself. Today, I came out here to do just that. I’m forever grateful!"

"Without sport I believe I’d also be behind bars because that was the only way we knew of."

"We believed that football was the only way to survive."

"Running a new world record was not the plan, but it just came naturally."

"I was scared, I didn’t know what to expect. Nobody knew who Letsile was back in 2023."

"That transition was what I’d been dreaming of since I started athletics—that was the validation of the potential I didn’t see growing up."

"I felt like it was over for me—it was over for athletics. I just needed to hand in the boots. I didn’t have the confidence to go out there and do what I have to do."

"There’s a lot of pain that is inside that needs to go out, and the only way I can do that is through running."

"I’ll always carry her as an inspiration—it’s not every day that you get a supportive parent behind your back in every decision that you make. She was able to show us the right path."

"If I don’t stumble, I can win this race."

"That 19 seconds felt so peaceful."

"The moment you talk about the world record is the moment you mess up your training programme."

"Without sports in my life, I don’t even want to think where I would be."

"I’m happy sport came in because there are a lot of youngsters who I know now are behind bars. Those are the same people that I used to hang around with."

"The Olympic gold, it means a lot to the country, it means a lot to the African continent, because Africa is no longer known for the long-distance races."

"It’s a reminder that you carry more than just a flag when you compete abroad, you carry the dreams of the people you grew up with and the pride of your countrymen watching you at home."

"The value that shaped me is Botho."

"Botho means never to undermine anyone, just do your thing and learn how to congratulate others if they've done better than you on the day."

"The children that I inspire across the world, sometimes are less privileged and cannot do sports because of their situations."

"I’m just an ordinary person."

"Only when I get on to the track, I become somebody different."

"I dream of an all-African lineup at the Olympics one day."

"All I can say is that Botswana will take care of a gem perfectly, more than the US can."

"What I'm most excited about, though, is the impact I have made on aspiring athletes."

"I have proved that by staying on the right track and working hard, it is possible to achieve your dreams no matter which part of the world you're from."

"Wherever you are, whatever you have, just make sure you put in enough effort and dedication."

"It's different in every country. When you get to my country, they understand, they know and they feel when to just let me be."

"Africans are stepping up and we see an increased number of African athletes in global competitions."

"That's always been my goal, to snap their dominance."

"It was sad to see only two nations rule the sport for decades."

"I wanted to make a breakthrough for African athletes."

"I aspired to be the one to make it happen and then take in the world's response. And that reaction has been heartwarming."

"Athletics has given me so many opportunities, and I want young people to believe in themselves, dream big and enjoy the sport."

"It's basically showing them direction, because if we have plenty of free time, we tend to do unlawful stuff."

"I go to the flashbacks that I came from here and now I'm a global star."

"You just have to capitalise on the little you have and make sure you pursue your goals."

"The Olympic gold has opened a lot of doors for the team, because I can't do this alone."

"When you get on to the track, it's all about business."

"When we finish, we become friends and then life goes on."

"This is a dream come true, not just for me, but for all of Botswana. We've shown the world what we're capable of, and this is just the beginning."

"The support has been overwhelming. I believe this has changed my life and also impacted many lives in my home country."

""I’ll probably rent out those two houses because I’m not leaving my mother’s place!"

"I’ve had such a huge blow that affected me deeply, so I’m still trying to get the confidence back into the body. It’s not about injuries; it is all about my mum."

"I now have multiple opportunities to support myself as multiple brands want to be associated with my name."

"I like having an element of mystery and want to leave people wondering: where is he, what’s he doing?"

"Once the governments are on board, it makes a massive difference to the sport."

"Africans can be sprinters, too."

"I always think about her but I just try not to let it get into me that much and then just block it out and move forward."

"I believe there is a medal in these legs and it only needs the determination and the willpower to do it."

"If somebody took it as disrespect, I'm really sorry."

"I used to train without shoes."

"Shoes were more expensive and we couldn’t afford that because we lived with our extended family, so it was difficult for us to get things."

"So I used to train without shoes in both football and athletics. I would wear a pair of old pants that one of my uncles used to wear back when he was in school. It was just a generational thing."

"I’m the Olympic champion."

"It’s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take inside the field."

"She’s watching up there, and she’s really, really happy."

"Great achievement looking at the Olympics, looking at the age, first Olympics, national record. Not everybody makes it to the final, I am grateful for what happened today."

"What I learned tonight is that, make sure you perfect everything according to the race and don't leave out anything."

"I think, for me, I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not arrogant or loud like Noah (Lyles). So, I believe Noah is the face of athletics."

"I'm really grateful for the team around me. They really pushed me through thick and thin."

"I have unfinished business with the World Championships."

"I vomited once and they decided that I was sick."

"Everything came crumbling down! It was my first time crying."

"I don't want to retire when I'm depressed."

"I want to retire in top shape. That's what I'm planning to do."

"I feel good when I see all these athletes in Botswana doing well, because most of them have seen me do it - so that's why they are doing this now."

"It wasn't a smooth journey because to be successful, I had to jump many hurdles, but the one thing I told myself was that I was never going to give up on this."

"It doesn't matter whether I run good or I ran bad, it's my last season so I have to enjoy it."

"I have always made it clear that I provide for my family through athletics and I won’t retire, especially that I still feel energetic and fit to compete. I want people to understand this and get it right so that they are not confused when they see me competing abroad."

"I don’t know why people are so surprised by my return because I have never said I has retired from athletics. What I said was that I was retiring from international athletics which concern national team events."

"My retirement is not different from that of football players who always announce their retirement from international events but keep playing for their individual clubs at home."

"I’m satisfied, but I know I can run faster."

"I don’t like to judge others. Most of the times, I try and look at the fact that we are different and have different reaction, thinking, and reasons for doing things our own way."

"Worldwide Olympian associations have long been formed; this is a great move by Botswana as it had been behind"

"the establishment of the association will bring former and current Olympians together, so that they take part in national duties varying from officiating, coaches as well as the technical aspect"

"It is good that former Olympians will not be forgotten because once upon a time they raised the national flag high as such they should be recognised whilst giving back what they have learned back to the sports community"

"If I am given a chance to contribute, I will do that wholeheartedly although one has to consider giving first priority to young and upcoming individuals"

"Sometimes it is all about discipline. I believe that most of us could be making a lot money but the way we handle ourselves lets us down"

"Agents would only be associated with you because they want to make money out of you"

"Most athletes do not take their time to seek for advice hence they fall prey to some agents who do not want the best for the careers"

"He told me that I can be a good hurdler because I have good qualities that can make me go far in hurdling. A good hurdler must have 800m endurance and 400m strength. You need to have a good hurdle technique and rhythm. Mentally you have to be strong because hurdling is more demanding"

"During my schooling days I specialised in 100m and 200m sprints; Bolt was the one we all looked up to"

"Qualifying for the Olympics feels so good; getting to this stage makes all the hard work over the years worth every minute of sweat. These are my first Olympics and I do not have international experience so I just know that a PB can get me to the final and in the finale anything can happen"

"Yes it’s disappointing that Tisang missed qualifying for the Olympics but what I know is that he is one of the best hurdlers in the world and he is going to come back stronger. There is competition between us but there is no rivalry, we just push each other to get to our best. For me it’s a blessing to have him as my friend and training partner"