World Athletics has downgraded the Botswana Golden Grand Prix from gold to silver status after the Gaborone meet failed to meet the governing body’s timelines during its April 2025 edition.
The downgrade follows challenges from the previous year, when World Athletics terminated its contract with Golden Door Sports Agency director Glody Dube to host the 2024 meet. Dube later regained hosting rights with only two months left to prepare for the event.
One of the main issues was the refurbishment of the National Stadium track. The project was incomplete during the meet, and the track was not certified by World Athletics at the time.
Speaking in an interview, Dube expressed optimism that the event could regain its gold status. He said the focus now was on meeting all World Athletics requirements.
“The deadlines they are talking about include the track. As you might be aware, even on the eve of the event, the contractor was on site working. At the end of the day no one should be blamed for that,” Dube said.
Organisers are now working on addressing compliance issues ahead of future editions to restore the event’s position among the top-tier meets on the World Athletics circuit.
