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Letsile Tebogo and two of his Team Botswana team-mates pulled out of the World Relays over a pay dispute and it has now been known the exact amount they were demanding.
Olympics 200m champion Letsile Tebogo has made news this week after his surprise withdrawal from the World Athletics Relays Championships alongside two Team Botswana team-mates.
Tebogo, alongside Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi, withdrew from the World Relays set to take place in Guangzhou, China this weekend, citing personal and professional reasons but it has since been revealed that their exit was due to a pay dispute.
At the centre of the dispute is allowances the athletes were owed after breaking the African 4x400m relay record at the Paris 2024 Olympics, when they bagged a silver medal.
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Although the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) and Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) have since denied it, claiming the athletes were paid, it has emerged that the athletes received their payment this week, over nine months since bringing glory to the country in Paris.
In fact, the payment was processed after it became clear that the star athletes were going to pull out of the World Relays after failed promises.
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16:00 - 07.05.2025
Shock as Payment Dispute Claims Arise After Letsile Tebogo And Star Duo Withdraw from Botswana Athletics
The Botswana National Olympic Committee has responded to claims of unpaid allowances to Olympic athletes including Letsile Tebogo.
How Much was Tebogo, and Team-mates Demanding?
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According to Botswana outlet MmegiSport, the athletes were demanding P100,000 (Ksh953,958) each for breaking the record at an Olympic event but received P50,000 (Ksh476,979) instead, with the BAA saying the incentive policy recognises the feat as an African record, irrespective of where it was set.
The athletes were also paid P20,000 (Ksh190,791) each for qualifying for the World Relays although the payment was made this month yet they sealed their ticket last year.
“I do not regard it as a delay. Request for payment was sent to the Botswana National Sport Commission on April 30 and May 1 was a holiday. On Monday, five days later, the athletes were paid and we do not think that was a delay,” BAA vice president-administration Oabona Theetso told MmegiSport.
The Botswana National Olympic Committee had on Wednesday sent a strongly-worded statement saying the athletes were fully paid and the dispute should not be used as a reason but it is clear it was an attempt to save face.
Botswana Athletics Boss Hopes for Reconciliation Soon
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However, despite the fallout, BAA has left the door open for a reconciliation and hopes for a smooth working relationship with the star trio in future.
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“Yes, we did everything accordingly. We will engage them further and close the issue,” added Theetso.
“It is not a dispute per se but we have unanimously agreed that we withdraw their manpower from the World Relays. We are still willing to meet them post the relays to map the way forward.”
Botswana still have hopes of doing well at the World Relays but the withdrawal will hamper their chances of retaining the 4x400m title while Tebogo and his two team-mates will focus on other individual events.
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