Botswana Declares Public Holiday for 4x400m Gold as Glenrose Xaba Targets SPAR Women’s 10km

Posted : 22 September 2025

Botswana has announced a public holiday to mark its men’s 4x400m relay team’s gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, becoming the first African nation to win the event.

Collen Kebinatshipi, who also secured the individual 400m title, ran a sensational anchor leg in pouring rain on Sunday to clinch the victory, narrowly beating the United States and South Africa in a dramatic finish.

President Duma Gideon Boko declared that September 29, the day before Botswana’s independence celebrations, will be a national holiday in honour of Kebinatshipi and his teammates Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, and Bayapo Ndori. “Botswana’s natural diamonds are not just in the ground. They are our world champion athletes,” Boko said, according to local media.

The announcement follows last year’s celebrations for Tebogo, who earned Botswana’s first Olympic gold in the 200m at the Paris Games, which prompted a half-day national holiday.

Glenrose Xaba Eyes Third SPAR Women’s 10km Title

Meanwhile, South African distance runner Glenrose Xaba is preparing to assert her dominance at the SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge in Gqeberha on Saturday. The defending SPAR Grand Prix champion has won the first three races of the series and currently leads the standings by five points.

Xaba is aiming to become the third South African, after Rene Kalmer and Irvette van Zyl, to win the SPAR Grand Prix three times. “I hope to inspire black girls,” she said. “I want them to see my success and believe they too can achieve greatness.”

Her main competition will include Ethiopian athletes Salem Gebre and Diniya Abaraya, as well as South African rising star Karabo Mailula from TUKS. Tayla Kavanagh, winner of the Pietermaritzburg SPAR Challenge last month, is also expected to challenge Xaba, having recently run a personal best of 31:53 in Durban.

The 10km race, starting and finishing at Pollok Beach in Summerstrand, features a gently undulating route praised for its scenic views and potential for fast times. SPAR Communications, PR, and Sponsorship Manager Mpudi Maubane expressed delight that the event, like all SPAR races this year, has sold out.

Maubane highlighted the broader impact of the SPAR Women’s Challenges, noting they promote women’s empowerment, health, and equality. “By participating, women invest in their wellbeing and contribute to a brighter future for all women in South Africa,” she said. Each race also supports SPAR’s campaigns to end gender-based violence and period poverty by 2030, creating both a sporting and social legacy.

Botswana Declares Public Holiday for 4x400m Gold as Glenrose Xaba Targets SPAR Women’s 10km

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