Botswana has announced a public holiday to celebrate its men’s 4x400m relay team’s historic gold medal win at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The victory marks the first time an African nation has won the event.
President Duma Boko hailed the win as a “historic African win” and announced that Monday, September 29, will be a holiday to celebrate the achievement.
The team, Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, beat the U.S. in the final.
This celebration follows a similar one last year when Letsile Tebogo’s Olympic 200m gold also led to a national holiday.
President Boko remarked that Botswana’s athletes are like the nation’s “natural diamonds.” The country finished fifth in the overall medal standings, their best-ever performance.
