Africa-Press – Botswana. Even though it’s been more than a year since Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo stormed to 200m Olympic gold at Paris 2024, his country has not stopped celebrating him. On Friday, the president of Botswana announced that Tebogo would be the new face of the country’s 50 pula bill (equivalent to C$5).
A portrait-style image of Tebogo with his Olympic gold medal from the 200m podium will be featured on the bill, along with the silver-medal-winning men’s 4x400m team, in which Tebogo ran the anchor leg. The new design will replace the country’s founding president and revered national figure, Sir Seretse Khama.President Mokgweetsi Masisi said the decision to alter the money was to honour both Botswana’s Golden Jubilee and a national icon. As the first Botswanan athlete to win Olympic gold in track and field, Tebogo has been embraced at home as a demigod.
Just last month, the country had its first annual Letsile Tebogo Day on Aug. 9, a national holiday created to celebrate his achievements. When Tebogo returned from Paris with his medal last year, the president held a homecoming parade that drew more than 30,000 people to Botswana’s National Stadium in Gaborone to catch a glimpse of the champion.All countries could learn a thing or two from Botswana about how to celebrate their athletics heroes, although Canada doesn’t fall far behind. In 2024, the federal government named Marathon of Hope legend Terry Fox as the new face of the five-dollar bill to celebrate the 45th anniversary of his run.
The 22-year-old Tebogo was not present at the unveiling of the new 50 pula bill, as he is currently in Tokyo preparing for the men’s 100m heats on Saturday evening. At the last World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 2023, Tebogo came away with two sprint medals: silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m, a feat he hopes to replicate, or better, over the next 10 days.
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