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Botswana's Letsile Tebogo has brushed off name mispronunciations as he prepares for Rome Diamond League clash with top sprinters.
Botswanan sprint sensation Letsile Tebogo is no stranger to the global stage but as his star rises so too does the number of people mispronouncing his name.
The 21-year-old’s relaxed attitude towards the common mispronunciation of his name is as refreshing as his sprinting prowess.
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10:43 - 28.08.2024
Justin Gatlin in awe of Letsile Tebogo's track exploits as he explains why the Botswanan is special
The 2004 Olympic 100m champion has given a candid explanation as to why Letsile Tebogo is a special athlete and deserves to be respected.
Tebogo, who claimed the 200m Olympic title in Paris, is lining up for his first 100m race since finishing sixth at the same Olympics, and he is not losing sleep over how his name rolls off the tongues of fans and broadcasters.
"They can't pronounce my name correctly; they say Tebogho. I just let them be because we've got our own differences. So I just let them be, and if they don't say it correctly, it won't affect me as long as the job is done; that's what matters," Tebogo stated in a recent interview with SuperSport.
While some might be irked by the persistent mix-up between "Tebogo" and "Tebogho," the 21-year-old sprinter remains cool-headed, understanding that different regions have their own linguistic quirks.
His focus is squarely on the track, where he will face off against some of the world’s fastest men including Africa’s speed king Ferdinand Omanyala.
This Rome Diamond League race will mark the first encounter between Tebogo and Omanyala in nearly a year, their last 100m clash dating back to the Prefontaine Classic in September 2023.
Since then, Omanyala has been on a tear, capturing titles and consistently finishing on the podium in international meets, including a second-place finish at the Silesia Diamond League.
The Rome meet is stacked with talent, and Tebogo’s competition is fierce.
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17:00 - 28.08.2024
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Among the athletes confirmed are the year’s fastest man, Kishane Thompson, who also clinched an Olympic silver medal, and Lamont Marcell Jacobs, the former Olympic gold medalist.
Also on the start list is Fred Kerley, the Olympic bronze medalist and the only man to have bested Omanyala post-Olympics.
Adding to the intensity are former World Champion Christian Coleman, 22-year-old Jamaican sprint star Ackeem Blake, Japan's Hakim Sani Brown, and former European champion Jeremiah Azu.
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