I’ll take “Things that would never happen in Canada” for $1,000.
One of the biggest storylines from last week’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo was the breakout success of the African nation of Botswana, which left the meet with two gold medals and a bronze–a first in the country’s history.
🤩 HISTORY! 🇧🇼 #WorldAthleticsChamps
Gold in the men’s 4x400m relay. ✅First African nation to win the event. ✅Public holiday declared in Botswana. ✅
Team Botswana power our #MondayMotivation. 💪 pic.twitter.com/nCBSJe8aoD
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) September 22, 2025
To celebrate, Botswana’s president, Duma Boko, declared Monday, Sept. 29 a public holiday to honour the country’s world championship team.
In an online address from New York City, where the president was in attendance for the UN General Assembly, he praised the men’s 4x400m relay gold medal as a “historic African win.” The president added, “I’ll be sure to tell everyone, Botswana’s natural diamonds are not just in the ground, they are our world champion athletes.”
The 29th of September has been declared a holiday by the Athletes and Mr President 😂🥳🥳🔥🔥 #Botswana #Boipuso pic.twitter.com/vLcnovVpYe
— Ndabezitha®️ (@SatchmoAhmed) September 21, 2025
Botswana’s men’s 4x400m team of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and newly-minted world 400m champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi stunned Team USA (the winners of nine of the last 10 world titles), running through torrential rain to win gold.
Botswana finished fifth overall in the medal table, behind only Team USA, Kenya, the Netherlands and Canada.
This isn’t the first time the nation has paused to honour its athletic heroes. Just last year, Botswana declared a holiday after Tebogo won the country’s first-ever Olympic gold in the men’s 200m at Paris 2024. Tebogo was also honoured as the new face of Botswana’s 50 pula bill (roughly C$5).
We believe all countries could take notes from Botswana when it comes to celebrating their champions. Last year, the Canadian government announced that Marathon of Hope legend Terry Fox would appear on the new five-dollar bill, marking the 45th anniversary of his historic run.
