Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo claims three countries tried to buy his citizenship – UK Times

Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo revealed that he has received three citizenship offers since his success in Paris in 2024, with Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia putting “offers on the table”.

Tebogo won Botswana’s first ever medal at the Olympics with his 200m triumph, and later secured a silver medal in the 4x400m relay in Paris. He was subsequently rewarded with a newly built three-bedroom house by his country’s government, with the relay squad – himself included – all given two-bedroom flats.

However, the 22-year-old claimed that Qatar, the UAE and Tunisia had tried to buy his citizenship, and he suggested that he had considered a change, with each country likely able to promise far more if he continues his success.

“I’ve got three offers on the table, from Qatar, Abu Dhabi [UAE] and Tunisia,” the sprinter told Duma FM, a radio station based in his home country.

“Those are the three offers that are there on the table, and we are still trying to see. We told them what we are worth, and they are promising to up their game, so that’s how it is,” he added.

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When pressed on whether he is going to consider the change, Tebogo replied: “It’s something on the table. [They said] ‘on a yearly basis, this is how much we can give you’. The offers came, but they were all rejected.”

The Olympic champion, who also won gold in the 4x400m at the World Championships this year, was quick to highlight that he would be required to take a break from the sport if he were to change nationality, suggesting that that might not be right for him at this stage in his career.

”We had to be considerate, being out of the sport for I think four years, before you can migrate into the other country. So, for now there is no offer on the table,” added the 22-year-old.

Under current regulations, athletes must wait three years after their last competition for the original country before they can compete for another nation, except for in cases with exceptional circumstances. Earlier this year, Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili confirmed a nationality switch from Nigeria to Turkiye citing “negligence” from the Nigerian Athletics Federation and Olympic Committee.