Letsile Tebogo Addresses Speculation After Missing Botswana Championships: 'It Hurts Me So Much'

Letsile Tebogo has clarified his decision to miss the Botswana Athletics National Championships, scheduled for April 3–5, 2026, at the National Stadium in Gaborone.

According to a video circulating online, Letsile Tebogo was seemingly forced to withdraw at the last minute after suffering an injury scare just before the men’s 100m race, ruling him out as a precaution.

Letsile Tebogo also addressed speculation surrounding his absence, stressing that he had fully intended to compete and had made notable sacrifices in preparation, but unforeseen circumstances ultimately prevented him from taking part.

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After winning the 400m race at the FNB Grand Prix Activation, Letsile Tebogo pushed back against suggestions that he had been unwilling to compete, insisting that such claims did not reflect his true intentions or commitment.

The former world 100m silver medallist went on to say that he had deliberately overlooked his meet in Australia and chosen to return home and participate in the national championships for the first time since his junior years.

He insisted that his decision was driven by a strong sense of duty and pride in representing his country. Letsile Tebogo added that he had already made significant personal sacrifices to be part of the event, noting that he holds only a single national title from his earlier career in the under-20 ranks, which made his return even more meaningful.

He further expressed deep disappointment that unexpected setbacks ultimately prevented him from fulfilling that goal, emphasising that it was especially painful given what he felt he had given up in order to compete for his country, his supporters, and the national flag.

“First and foremost, I must try to cover up for the unforeseen circumstances that happened the previous week. Before I get into anything else, I've seen a lot of speculation that I didn’t want to run in the trials or whatsoever,” Letsile Tebogo said in a video shared by DiTlamZ on X (Twitter).

“But if that was the case, I wouldn't have wanted to be there. But I made a sacrifice to come here to Botswana and run in the nationals for the first time since I was a junior. I only have one title, the 400m, since I was still in the under-20. 20.

“So I made a sacrifice, and it hurts me so much knowing the sacrifice that I've left something bigger for the country, for the flag, and for people, for my supporters in Botswana.”

Letsile Tebogo clarified that any talk suggesting he was unwilling to compete was inaccurate, saying he had already moved past earlier misunderstandings and was focused on the present situation.

He explained that his approach to the day was exploratory, aimed at understanding how events would unfold after earlier plans did not go as expected the previous week.

Letsile Tebogo added that the ideal performance he had hoped for had not materialised when it mattered most, which required him to reset and reassess his mindset going into the current outing.

He further stated that his focus was simply to give maximum effort, push himself as far as possible, and see what level of performance he could still extract under the circumstances.

“Not that I didn't want to run, but that's just water under the bridge. I came in here today to come and see what's going to happen, what's not going to happen. Our best should have happened last week, but it didn't happen. And I just made sure I just have to come in today and just push everything to the limit and see what can come out,” he added.