Twenty-two years later, same story. Australia picked up where they left off in their domination of the rugby league Ashes.
After a tense opening 20 minutes of the first series since 2003, the Kangaroos opened the scoring against England with their first flowing move of the contest.
Debutant Mark Nawaqanitawase shifted the ball left for rampaging full-back Reece Walsh to go over in style.
England were unhappy as scrum-half Mikey Lewis appeared to be tripped in the build-up, and there looked to be a forward pass too – but the try was given following a review by video referee Jack Smith.
Smith partly redeemed himself to the Wembley crowd by disallowing a second Australia try before the break as Dom Young was taken out by Josh Addo-Carr as he jumped to catch a high kick.
Shaun Wane’s side initially responded well to conceding and defence-splitting grubber kicks from George Williams and Tom Johnstone had the green and gold defence on their heels.
But Cleary added a penalty with the last action of the first half to put Australia 8-0 up – and they extended the lead straight after the interval.
After putting the hosts under constant pressure from the restart, Angus Crichton strode through to score with full-back Jack Welsby too deep and allowing him to go through far too easily.
Australia kept England at arm’s length thereafter, easing their way to victory in the first meeting between the sides since the 2017 World Cup final.
That success was secured with 15 minutes remaining as second row Crichton scythed through the defence again, and more gloss was added when a superb field-length move down the left was finished by the impressive Walsh.
Daryl Clark barged over in the final minutes for England, but it was no more than a consolation.
A downside for the visitors was that captain Issah Yeo was forced off in the first half after failing a head injury assessment following a clash with Young. He will also miss the second test next week at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.
LUKE LITTLER is a whisker away from becoming world No.1 for the first time.
The teen sensation battered Luke Humphries in Sunday’s World Grand Prix final to slash the buffer ‘Cool Hand’ enjoyed at the top of the PDC Order of Merit.
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Littler is breathing down Humphries’ neckCredit: Getty
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Cool Hand’s lead at the top has been slashedCredit: Getty
Darts world rankings are determined by the amount of prize money a player has won in ranking tournaments over a rolling two-year period.
Littler was 16 years old and barely even on the radar two years ago.
He has racked up virtually all of his staggering £1,665,500 haul since bursting onto the scene at the 2024 World Darts Championship.
And that doesn’t even include the cash he’s banked at non-ranking events.
Humphries has been untouchable at the top of the standings for nigh on two years.
But the hiding he got from Littler in Leicester has cut the gap to just over £70,000.
Humphries will need a heroic effort to remain on top as he’s defending maximum winnings at the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals next month.
Josh Rock and Danny Noppert are two of the other big winners from the World Grand Prix.
Rock, 24, is up from ninth to eighth in the world, having started the year 16th.
And Noppert has jumped from 13th to 10th after losing to Humphries in the semi-finals.
Luke Littler reveals he’s going solo after shock split from manager ahead of World Grand Prix
Damon Heta, Dave Chisnall and Peter Wright have all slipped further down the pecking order.
And there is more misery for 2023 world champion Michael Smith – who didn’t even qualify for the World Grand Prix – as he has dropped two places to 27th.
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Josh Rock is up to eighth in the worldCredit: Getty
Many have praised the lavish costume drama with a twist
The costume drama had a playful tone (Image: APPLE TV)
Viewers who love a cosy period drama to watch as the nights draw in should check out this series on Apple TV+, which has received rave reviews, after others have enjoyed a compelling historical movie and some have been blown away by a dazzling period drama.
The drama came out in 2019 and has been praised by audiences on IMDb.
One person posted in their 10/10 review: “I watch it and, re-watched it again. I understand this may not be for everyone. However, as far as myself, I wish there was more show like this. I enjoyed every character [sic].”
As a second declared in their top-rated review that the show was “incredible” and “a triumph”. The user continued: “I can not comprehend why this has such a low rating on here. I was mind blown. Tore through the series in a day [sic].”
A third viewer gave 10/10 and described the show as “fantastic” and added: “I am 3 episodes in and this show is a hilarious, anachronistic romp! Loving every second of it.”
Someone else added in their top-rated critique: “It’s so good. But not for everyone!
“This show is really great. I love the mix of old & new. The jokes are funny and characters are enjoyable. The actors are doing tremendous job too.”
Someone else added: “Really really really Love this show. Honesty the best comedy in a while. Silly but respects and reflects her poems with dignity. She would be proud to be such a part of pop culture.”
The user concluded: “The mix of Drama and Comedy is perfect.”
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TV fans can get Apple TV+ free with a seven-day trial and stream acclaimed shows like Severance, Ted Lasso and Slow Horses, plus films including The Gorge. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends and you won’t pay a penny.
Meanwhile, a review of Google read: “My favourite show! I was unsure about watching this because I had watched the first episode before and wasn’t the biggest fan of the odd soap opera/over dramatic feeling to it but I rewatched about a year later and was completely blown away by absolutely everything!
“I love the way it depicts the supposed romantic relationship between Emily and Sue and the struggles they face trying to hide their affection from one another. Don’t watch expecting a history lesson or a biography of Emily’s life.”
Dickinson debuted on Apple TV+ on and reimagined the life of celebrated American poet Emily Dickinson (played by Hailee Steinfeld) at the start of her journey as a budding writer.
Over three seasons, viewers followed the angst of Emily for her love of her brother’s wife Sue Gilbert (Ella Hunt).
The show saw Emily trying to exist within the confines of the 19th century, looking at sexual identity, gender roles and the socio-political climate of the era.
The cast also included Halt and Catch Fire’s Toby Huss, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Anna Baryshnikov of Manchester by the Sea fame, Ally McBeal actress Jane Krakowski, Amanda Warren from The Leftovers, and Silo’s Chinaza Uche.
The show ran for three seasons and was filled with anachronisms and pop culture references, giving a new lease of life not only to Dickinson but the period drama genre as a whole, falling into a similar playful vein as The Great and The Favourite.
TELLURIDE, Colo. — It’s customary at Telluride for a director premiering a movie to step onstage, say a few words and slip away before the lights go down. On Friday night, before unveiling her new film “Hamnet,” Chloé Zhao admitted she couldn’t find the right words. For a film centered on William Shakespeare, the most famous wordsmith in history, that felt oddly fitting.
Instead, the 43-year-old Zhao led the packed Palm Theater in a meditative “ritual” she and her cast had practiced throughout the shoot, from before the script was even written until the final day on set. She asked the audience to close their eyes, place a hand over their hearts and feel the weight of their bodies in the seats and the surrounding Rocky Mountains holding them safe. Together, the crowd exhaled three long, loud sighs, then tapped their chests in unison, repeating softly: “This is my heart. This is my heart. This is my heart.”
By the time the film ended, those same hearts were left aching. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, “Hamnet” tells the story of Shakespeare’s marriage to Agnes (played by Jessie Buckley) and the devastating death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. Paul Mescal plays Shakespeare — not the untouchable bard of legend but a husband and father reckoning with grief. At once grounded and dreamlike, the film drew perhaps the most rapturous and unanimous response of any debut in this year’s lineup.
Eight years ago, Zhao came to Telluride with “The Rider,” fresh from Cannes and still largely unknown. In 2020 she returned with “Nomadland,” which received a Telluride-sponsored drive-in screening at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl due to the pandemic and went on to win best picture and make Oscar history, with Zhao becoming only the second woman — and the first and only woman of color — to win the directing prize. Then came Marvel’s “Eternals,” a massive undertaking that thrust Zhao into the franchise machine and brought with it a bruising critical reception. With “Hamnet,” she’s back to a smaller canvas, trading cosmic spectacle for intimate human drama.
On Sunday morning in Telluride, still processing the reaction to her latest film, Zhao sat down to talk — speaking so softly that even in a hushed room her words can be hard to catch — about why she took on O’Farrell’s story, how she approached Shakespeare’s world and the delicate task of turning heartbreak into art.
Jessie Buckley, center, in the movie “Hamnet.”
(Agata Grzybowska / Focus Features)
When I interviewed you for “The Rider” in 2018 you said you’re a very pessimistic person and when you get a good review, you’re just waiting for the bad one to drop. What are you feeling right now?Did you expect anything like the reaction “Hamnet” has received? I was nervous. I’ve walked through fires. I’ve been through the fire — a very painful fire — and I think there is probably a bit of fear around that.
What was the fire? You mean the reaction to “Eternals”? I’m not going to say out it loud, because when I do, things always get … [trails off]. Let’s just say we were very scared.
I think the fear mainly came from the fact that we felt so sure of what we experienced. It changed all of our lives and mine so profoundly that it’s still reverberating. You think: Were we crazy? And no one else will get it but us?
You go through this long, treacherous journey to deliver these things to safety and now it’s very tender because you look back at all the loss and the sacrifices along the way and you haven’t really had time to process it.
I’m curious what your history was with Shakespeare growing up in China and then moving to England and later Los Angeles as a teenager. What kind of early impression did he make on you? Shakespeare is very revered in China. In Chinese theater, they do Chinese versions of his plays. When I studied in the U.K., I didn’t speak English at the time and I did have to learn Shakespeare, which was very difficult. I don’t think I’m anywhere near where Paul and Jesse are with their understanding of Shakespeare. The language was always a barrier but the archetypal element of his stories was big for me — particularly “Macbeth.” In high school in Los Angeles, I performed Lady Macbeth’s speech on the stage because everybody had to do some kind of monologue for a project. And I barely spoke English.
You’ve said you initially weren’t sure that you were the right person to direct this movie. What was your hesitation? There were three elements to that. One is that I’m not a mother. I never felt particularly maternal. People in my life say, “That’s not true, Chloé,” but I don’t see myself stepping into that archetype at all. The second was the idea of a period film — how can I be authentic and fluid in a period film, where you can’t just make things up in the moment, you can’t be spontaneous? The third was Shakespeare. I wondered if I needed to be scholarly.
So how did you come around? I was driving near Four Corners, New Mexico, when Amblin called. I said, “No, thank you.” Steven [Spielberg] really wanted me to consider it. Then my agent said Paul Mescal wanted to meet me. I didn’t know his work. “Aftersun” was the secret screening here [in Telluride 2022], and we went for a walk by the creek. I watched him talking and thought, “Could he play young Shakespeare?” He already read the book. Then I read it and thought, if Maggie [O’Farrell] can write this with me, she can show me that world. As soon as I read the book, I said, “Can you set a meeting with Jessie Buckley?” I couldn’t see anyone else but her as Agnes.
Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare in the movie “Hamnet.”
(Agata Grzybowska / Focus Features)
You’d just come off “Eternals” after making small films like “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” and “Nomadland.” Now you’re back with something more intimate again. Did it feel like a reset? Every child has its own beauty and troubles. This budget was maybe six or seven times “Nomadland,” but much less than “Eternals.” But it’s also a period film, which has its own challenges. I come from a tradition of: Tell me how much money you have and I’ll make something with it.
But I changed a lot after “Nomadland” and “Eternals.” In my 30s, I wanted to chase the horizon. I didn’t want it to ever end. I’d just keep running. Then, at the end of “Eternals,” I felt I couldn’t film another sunset that would satisfy me the way in the way it had with “The Rider” and “Nomadland.” I went through a lot of difficult personal times and pushing midlife, I realized I’d been running like a cowboy, like a nomad.
When you stop running and stop chasing horizons and you stay still, the only place you can go is above or below. I descended pretty heavily these last four years. By the time I got to “Hamnet,” I was ready. The difference now is a different kind of humanity: older, more vertical.
We know so little about Shakespeare or his son. Some parts of your film are grounded, others dreamlike. How did you balance that? First of all, what’s real? Ancient mystics tried to understand what is being. “To be or not to be” goes beyond suicidal thought — it’s about existence itself. Every film has its own truth. For me, the truest thing is what’s present in the moment. I hired department heads and actors with knowledge of the history, but also the capacity to stay present and shift as we go. If someone came in too factual and literal, I said no. I wanted people who could do the research but also stay alive to the present.
Shakespeare’s name isn’t even spoken until late in the movie. This isn’t the icon — he’s a husband and father. Was it appealing to free him from the iconography? Maggie’s book laid the foundation, really focusing on Agnes. For the film, I wanted it to be about two people who see and are seen by each other. They’re archetypal characters. I’ve studied Jungian psychology and Hindu Tantra — the energies of masculine and feminine, being and doing, birth and death. If we don’t have a healthy connection to our roots, those forces battle within us. By creating two characters who embody that, the story can work at a collective level and an internal one. The alchemy of creativity lets those forces coexist. Hopefully it becomes something more than a story about marriage or the death of a child.
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in the movie “Hamnet.”
(Agata Grzybowska / Focus Features )
The loss of a child is hard to film and for audiences to watch. We’ve seen it tackled in different ways on screen, from “Ordinary People” to “Manchester by the Sea.” How did you approach portraying that kind of grief honestly without it being too much for the audience to bear? It might be for some people, which is understandable. I love both those films you mentioned very much and watched them multiple times. I’ve been making films about grief for a while. I don’t think about what’s too much or too little. Agnes’ wailing — I could do that right now in front of you. We should be allowed to. The silence for thousands of years has done great damage.
How do you mean? Think about ancient warriors coming back from battle — they danced, screamed, healed together. In Tantra, sexuality was part of healing. Now it’s: Talk to a therapist, take medication, go back to your family. The body is restricted. Telling a woman to be quiet when she gave birth and pinning her down. We know why this control happens. But I think people are responding to films where actors are embodied, because we miss that.
How do you see grief as a through-line in all your films? All my films start with characters who’ve lost what defined them: dreams, home, purpose, faith. They grieve who they thought they were in order to become who they truly are. That’s grief on an individual and collective level. I wasn’t raised to understand grief. So I made films to give characters catharsis and through that, myself.
My friend [“Sinners” director] Ryan Coogler, who knows me so well, sat me down after seeing “Hamnet” and he said, “The other films were beautiful but you hid behind things. This is the first time I saw you in there. You’re finally being seen.” It took four films, working with that kind of grief and fear to get to that point.
The Oscar chatter has already started. You’ve obviously been through this before. How do you tune that out and just focus on what’s in front of you? The same way that me, Paul and Jessie were doing on set. We made the film by being present. It’s difficult, so I’m trying to take that practice daily — just saying, “OK, today is all we have.” It’s flattering and nice but after what I’ve experienced in my career, you cannot possibly predict how things are going to go. I never expected “Nomadland” to go on that journey. So I surrender to the river.
Do you know what you’re doing next? I just wrapped the pilot on the new “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” series, which is set 25 years later. My company is part of developing it. The fandom is so special to me and I’m excited about how that’s going to go into the world. Then I think I want to do a play. I was working on “Our Town” and I had to let that go in order to do “Hamnet.” But I figured maybe I’ll learn something from this film and come back to the stage.
The industry feels pretty shaky right now: fewer jobs, studio consolidation, anxiety around AI. As a filmmaker, how do you see the state of the business and the art form? I sense we’re at a threshold — not just the film business, everything. It’s uncomfortable. We’re like Will standing at the edge of the river when, at least in our film, the “to be or not to be” monologue was born. We can’t go back and we don’t know how to go forward. In physics, when two opposing forces pull so strongly, a new equilibrium bursts out. That’s how the universe expands. I think we’re there. We can kick and scream or we can surrender, hug our loved ones and focus on what we can do today.
Hopefully I’m not so pessimistic now. Or at least a little bit less.
ISTANBUL — During a pool training session months ago, Ukrainian war veteran Oleh Tserkovnyi was struck by an idea: What if a group of veterans swam across the strait of Bosphorus, between Turkey’s European and Asian shores? And if they did it on Aug. 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day?
The symbolism of the day would draw attention to the toll and devastation inflicted by Russia’s full-out war on Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
When the 34-year-old pitched the idea to fellow veterans in their One for Another support group, none raised injuries, particularly their amputations, as a barrier. Two joined him right away.
They trained for months, with the support of Superhumans Center, a veterans’ rehabilitation clinic in Ukraine, and coached by CapitalTRI, an amateur triathlon team in Kyiv. They agreed their race would have another goal — to raise money for prosthetics, which remain costly and urgently needed by many of Ukraine’s wounded.
“We’re not asking for pity,” Tserkovnyi told The Associated Press shortly before the competition. “We’re asking for support.”
A race that links continents
After months of rigorous training, discipline and physical challenges, the three Ukrainian veterans on Sunday joined more than 2,800 swimmers from 81 countries in the 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) crossing from Asia to Europe.
The Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race is an open-water event held each year in Istanbul, organized by the Turkish Olympic Committee since 1989.
All three Ukrainians completed the crossing, each swimming for more than an hour. The two veterans with amputations faced setbacks even before the start — the organizers initially barred them from competing, insisting they have to be in a separate category for people with disabilities.
But they persevered and swam the race, alongside the others.
For the Ukrainians, it wasn’t just about endurance but about reclaiming control over bodies transformed by war — and sharing their recovery with a world that often seems indifferent to the injuries they carry.
Seeking balance in the water
Sports had always been a part of Tserkovnyi’s life, but war and injury pushed him to use it as a survival tool after two severe, life-changing concussions — a bridge back to life for war veterans with disabilities.
“Sport itself heals — we’ve seen that firsthand,” he said. “And the community, it pulls you through. It pushes you, it disciplines you.”
When he speaks, he’s quick to point out the changes he sees in himself — the stutter, the involuntary twitch in his eye.
“It’s what’s left over. It used to be much worse,” he said.
Both of his concussions were the result of prolonged exposure to artillery fire while serving on the front line. He was a sniper when the second one hit. Afterward, he said, it felt like he had lost his sense of balance entirely.
“There were times I could walk, but then suddenly I’d just tip over like a pencil,” Tserkovnyi said. “I have third-degree hearing loss on one side, no peripheral vision.”
The sense of being “a sick person,” he said, felt so foreign to him that he threw himself into recovery with everything he had. For a long time, he also had PTSD symptoms, including dramatic flashbacks to the war.
But it was in the pool that he found a way to recognize the warning signs. “I began to understand what triggers them, when they come, and how to stay ahead of them,” he said.
A path back to oneself
Engineer Pavlo Tovstyk signed up as a volunteer in the early days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Serving as a driver in an intelligence unit, he stepped on a landmine in June 2023.
The blast took his foot and subsequent surgeries led to a partial amputation of his left leg.
The 47-year-old, who used to be an active swimmer as a child, never thought swimming would become a lifeline. He was still recovering from his injury when he began sneaking into the swimming pool, keeping it a secret from the doctors.
“Water became a kind of savior for me,” he said. “At the time, everything felt disoriented. But in the water, my thoughts, my strength, my body — it all came together again. I became myself again. Just … different.”
The idea to swim the strait in Turkey started almost as a dare, then became a plan.
“To cross the Bosphorus, you need not just physical strength, but a certain mindset — a state of determination that all of us managed to find within ourselves,” he said.
Calm found in purpose
Oleksandr Dashko discovered swimming only after losing his left leg.
The 28-year-old had joined the military at the start of the Russian invasion and served in the infantry in various front-line areas.
In June 2023, a mine exploded near him and shrapnel tore into his knee.
“I didn’t take it very graciously, let’s say,” he said as he recounted the conflicted feelings that tormented him for so long. Adjustment to life with an amputation has been slow and mentally taxing.
It was only over the past year that he was able to focus on physical rehabilitation — and swimming, he said, has become the activity that brings him a sense of calm.
The challenge of swimming the Bosphorus became a purpose for Dashko.
“When I do nothing, I slip back to that state right after the injury — depression, apathy, the feeling that the amputation is winning,” he said. “But when something like this shows up on my path, it gives me a jolt — to live, to move forward, to motivate others.”
Physical goals, he said, help anchor him. He hopes for more such challenges, not just for himself, but for other veterans.
“Honestly, if it weren’t for this, I’d probably be drunk and lying under a fence somewhere,” he said.
Maloletka and Arhirova write for the Associated Press. Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.
Tottenham’s decision to sack the man who guided them to a first trophy since 2008 will divide opinion across their fanbase.
He becomes the fourth Spurs manager – after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte – to lose his job since Pochettino was sacked in November 2019, less than four months after taking them to the Champions League final.
Postecoglou’s reign began in spectacular fashion, despite the exit of the club’s all-time leading scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
Spurs set the pace in the early stages of the 2023-24 Premier League season by taking 26 points from their first 10 games, with former Australia boss Postecoglou winning three consecutive manager of the month awards.
But five defeats in their final seven matches cost them a spot in the Champions League 12 months ago, and things continued to unravel – Europe aside – in 2024-25.
Postecoglou, who was initially praised for the attacking style he implemented, was forced to defend himself from criticism for sticking to his principles and had to contend with a catalogue of injuries to key players.
Aside from their run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, where they were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool after taking a slender one-goal lead to Anfield, they have struggled in domestic competition.
Since 6 November 2023, Spurs have collected 78 points from 66 top-flight games – the 16th best record in the Premier League.
They scored 64 goals last season – as many as fourth-placed Chelsea, and more than Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in sixth and seventh – but conceded 65, with only Wolves and the relegated trio of Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton shipping more.
The forward made a claim of £46.5million against his former club, believing he was owed a signing bonus, his final three months’ salary and an “ethical” payment.
Tottenham fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium celebrate on the pitch after their team win the Europa League by beating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao.
Tebogo talks to Al Jazeera about breaking the American and Jamaican dominance, and the future of sprinting in Africa.
Doha, Qatar – Loud cheers greeted Letsile Tebogo when he stepped onto the track for the men’s 200-metre race at the World Athletics Doha Diamond League in Qatar and stepped away a winner a few minutes later.
The Botswanan Olympic gold medallist made his Doha debut with a time of 20.10 seconds on a balmy Friday evening, coolly glancing sideways at his closest competitor as he crossed the finish line 0.01s ahead of Courtney Lindsey of the United States (US).
It was a leisurely run compared with his triumphant 19.46s finish at the Stade de France nine months ago, when he left a star-studded American lineup – including 100m gold medal winner Noah Lyles – in his wake as he brought Botswana its first Olympic gold.
As a young boy, Tebogo was a keen footballer with a preference for manning the left wing, but was pushed towards athletics by his teachers.
Seven years later, the reluctant sprinter made the world sit up and take notice as he became the first African to win a 200m gold at the Olympics.
A day prior to the Doha Diamond League, the World Athletics 2024 Athlete of the Year sat down with Al Jazeera to reflect on his achievement in Paris and its the impact on the African continent:
Al Jazeera: How has life changed for you since winning the Olympic gold? Letsile Tebogo: In so many ways.
To begin with, there’s increased awareness of the scale of my achievement, which has brought along commercial interest.
I now have multiple opportunities to support myself as multiple brands want to be associated with my name.
What I’m most excited about, though, is the impact I have made on aspiring athletes.
I have proved that by staying on the right track and working hard, it is possible to achieve your dreams no matter which part of the world you’re from.
Wherever you are, whatever you have, just make sure you put in enough effort and dedication.
Al Jazeera: How difficult is it for you to step out of your house when you’re in Botswana? Tebogo: I’m never out unless it’s for an event. I stay locked up indoors because I don’t want to be out there too much. I like having an element of mystery and want to leave people wondering: where is he, what’s he doing?
Al Jazeera: How does it feel to break the American and Jamaican hold on sprinting medals at the Olympics? Tebogo: That’s always been my goal. To snap their dominance. It was sad to see only two nations rule the sport for decades.
I wanted to make a breakthrough for African athletes. I aspired to be the one to make it happen and then take in the world’s response. And that reaction has been heartwarming.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (second left) sprints ahead of his American competitors Erriyon Knighton (left) and Noah Lyles (second right) in the men’s 200m final at the Paris Olympics 2024 [File: Al Bello/Getty Images]
Al Jazeera: When compared with the success in distance running, Africa has not been able to bag as many medals in sprinting. What challenges do African athletes face when it comes to sprinting at the highest level? Tebogo: It’s mostly down to infrastructure and support but I am not entirely sure. However, I can see that Africa is looking towards investing in its athletes beyond distance running.
Once the governments are on board, it makes a massive difference to the sport.
Al Jazeera: Can you see the impact of your success for Batswana athletes? Tebogo: It’s still early days but I’ve definitely seen athletes shed a layer of self-doubt. They are no longer afraid of coming forward to showcase their talent.
I hope the new [Botswana] government will take the next step and help these athletes.
Al Jazeera: How do you see the future of sprinting in Africa? Tebogo: Africans are stepping up and we see an increased number of African athletes in global competitions.
I dream of an all-African lineup at the Olympics one day.
Tebogo is the first African to win an Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200m category [File: Julian Finney/Getty Images]
