On a night a constellation of sport stars gathered at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC), Collen Busang Kebinatshipi became the supernova-the explosive star that outshines entire galaxies across space.

The Gaborone glitterati, joined by regional sports personalities including South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs Marketing Director Jessica Motaung and Hersi Said, President of Tanzanian football giants Young Africans (Yanga) witnessed Kebinatshipi emerge as the shining star of the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) run 45th Botswana Sports Awards.

The nation’s athletics jewel was crowned both Sportsperson of the Year and the Sportsman of the Year on a chilly night in May.

Kebinatshipi, who won 400m men gold at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo and was part of the Botswana 4x400m relay team that won gold at the same event, had a week earlier been part of a relay team that enthralled Batswana at the  Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 games.

That 4x400m relay team of Kebinatshipi alongside Letsile Tebogo, Lee Eppie and Bayapo Ndori won the Team of the Year Award.

In an acceptance speech delivered with much poise and grace, Kebinatshipi thanked his coach Chilume ‘Chippa’ Ntshwarang for his dedicated guidance.

Ntshwarang, the recipient of the Coach of the Year award on the night, revealed how Botswana athletics legend Bobby Gaseitsewe kept charging him to drive Kebinatshipi to push harder, as he always felt the young lad was not running at full potential.

But it had become evident over the past two years that Kebinatshipi is able to push himself to the limit and if managed well, the 22-year-old, born 13 February 2004, is set to stay a global star over the next decade.

On a night athletics outperformed other sporting codes, the 800m national record holder Oratile Nowe won the Sportswoman of the Year award.

Junior Sportsperson of the Year went to Ntungamili Raguin the 17-year-old who has done exceptionally well in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior circuit, becoming the first Motswana to play in a grand slam by featuring in the Australian Open qualifiers earlier this year.

Noble in his acceptance speech delivered in Setswana and English, Raguin said he has traversed the world but the award bestowed at home means the most to him.

He said his Kalanga first name meaning ‘Leader’ was given to him by his maternal grandfather and he did not take lightly the meaning and the life mission it carries.

Held under the theme ‘Forged Champions- Rewarding Earned Stripes;’ the event hosted a galaxy of sport stars past and present, from the likes of boxing gladiator Thuso “Scud” Khubamang, Zebras football legends Diphetogo “Dipsy” Selolwane and Mogogi Gabonamong, volleyball greats Shadrack Kapeko, Tsoseletso “Tsosi” Magang, Tracy Chaba among others, to current stars.

State dignitaries, the Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe and the Minister of Sports and Culture Jacob Kelebeng spoke of the importance of sport in nation building and its immense commercial potential.

For all the luminaries present, the greatest cheer was reserved for the biggest start on the night. Kebinatshipi!