Letsile Tebogo: Grief, Pain As Botswana Sprinter Loses Mother to Illness

• Letsile Tebogo has sadly lost his mother to illness
• The mother was a constant figure during his races
• He won two medals at 2023 World Championships

The world of track and field has been thrown into mourning after fast-rising sprinter Letsile Tebogo lost his mother, Seratiwa Tebogo, over the weekend.

The 20-year-old had just managed to put down his foot as one of the most promising sprinters to watch after an impressive last two years that saw him accomplish impressive fetes.

The family confirmed the news via a message shared by Botswana radio Duma FM. She is survived by Tebogo and a 12-year-old daughter.

Tebogo's mother: I am proud of my son

Tebogo's mother was an influential figure in her son's career. She was spotted in various track meets, most notably at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year.

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Football

At the championships, Tebogo claimed silver in the 100m race behind American sensation Noah Lyles before clinching bronze in the 200m. It was the first time that an African had been on the podium in the 100m.

Speaking after the race to Making of Champions, Seratiwa was beyond proud of what her son had achieved.

"To say that I am happy is an understatement. I am so proud of his achievements and putting Africa on the map."

She then shared how her son's love for sports began with football, but he opted for athletics after failing to break through the starting XI.

"He used to get benched a lot. He didn't like that and decided to try his hand at athletics."

Tebogo had just run at the Los Angeles Grand Prix on Saturday, finishing second behind Kyree King in the 100m. The former world U-20 record holder is one of the strong favourites at the Paris Olympics.

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Athletics

Kelvin Kiptum: Shattered dreams and village in mourning

This heartbreaking news comes three months after the athletics world was plunged into mourning following Kelvin Kiptum's demise.

Kiptum, who was the marathon world record holder, met his death on February 11 in a road accident along the Eldoret-Kaptagat highway in Kenya.

The 23-year-old broke the marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:00:35. He had widely been expected to be the first human to run a race under two hours.