Tebogo: Why I have not changed allegiance to another country

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 16 December 2025 2:01am WAT

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Letsile Tebogo

Letsile Tebogo

Olympic 200 metres champion, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, has explained that he has rejected some offers to change allegiance to other countries because he could not countenance staying away from competitions for four years.He also hinted that he could move if the offer is worth the trouble.   An athlete, who wishes to change allegiance to another country, is expected to stay away from the major championships like the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, African Games and other major championships for a period before he starts representing his new country.   Speaking in a viral podcast at the weekend, Tebogo revealed that three countries, including Qatar, UAE and Tunisia, have already put offers on the table, hoping to convince him to abandon Botswana and compete under their flag.   The former world 100m silver medallist explained that his team had already outlined their expectations to the interested parties, saying that each of the offers involved a structured yearly package.   He added, however, that he has not accepted any of the offers because the team had to consider the strict regulations governing nationality changes in athletics.   “I’ve got three offers on the table. Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Tunisia. Those are the three offers that are on the table. And we are still trying to see and wait for the mayor with the guy inside,” he said. Tebogo revealed that his team was not in a hurry to change allegiance unless the offer was worth the change.   “We told them what we are worth, and they are promising to up their game. Yes, that’s how it is. It’s something on the team. Every year, this is how much we can give you. But on a lighter note, the offers came, but they were all rejected.   “Being out of the sport for, I think, four years without you representing any country before you can migrate into the other country. So, for now, there’s no offer on the table.” Tebogo had a remarkable season last year, culminating in a gold medal at the Olympics in France.

He picked up the chase this year, closing out the year with a strong 19.80 for second place at the Diamond League final in Brussels. As modest as ever, Tebogo said that he never fully anticipated the scale of his rise, admitting that becoming one of the fastest athletes in the world felt like the biggest achievement of his career.

He explained that at the start of the year, he had not yet understood the realities of life at the top level, but as the season progressed, he began to grasp how the sport works and the kinds of opportunities it can bring.

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