Ferdinand Omanyala, Akani Simbine to face off at FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix
Africa’s record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, will face off against South Africa’s national record holder Akani Simbine in the Men’s 100m at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix on Sunday, April 26, 2026 in Gaborone.
Three other SA sprinters, Benjamin Richardson, Tsebo Matsoso and junior prospect Karabo Letebele, will also be in the line-up in an attempt to cause an upset in the short dash.
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This comes shortly after Omanyala and Mercy Oketch inspired team Kenya to an outstanding performance at the Lefika International Relays in Gaborone on Saturday, March 28, 2026, securing multiple podium finishes and underlining the country’s growing dominance in relay events beyond its traditional long-distance prowess.
Simbine leads South African team
South Africa will be well represented on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with 36 athletes included in the provisional entry lists. The track and field meeting will feature athletes from 30 different countries, competing in a total of 20 men’s and women’s events.
The country with the most representation (aside from the hosts, who also have 36 individuals competing) will be South Africa, with local athletes turning out in what will be a precursor to the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships in Potchefstroom from Friday, April 24, to Sunday, April 26, 2026.
In the men’s 200m sprint, former World Championships finalist Luxolo Adams is the only South African in the A race, and he will need to be at his best against Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana. In the men’s shot put, former Olympic finalist Kyle Blignaut will be eager to deliver in the early stages of the international season.
Two legends of South African long jumping will also be looking to show they can still compete at elite level, with former World Championships medalists Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai included in the entries in their specialist discipline.
Among the women, Zeney Geldenhuys will be eager to put up a fight in the 400m hurdles race against a powerful line-up which is headlined by former world and Olympic champion, Dalilah Muhammad of the United States.
In the javelin throw, Olympic silver medalist Jo-Ane du Plessis will turn out as the firm favourite for victory. And sprinter Viwe Jingqi will have an opportunity to open her international season in style when she enters the blocks in the 100m sprint.
