Botswana unveils professional horse racing starting gates
Minister Chombo hailed the gates as a major milestone that bridges the gap between local horse racing and international standards.
Botswana.- Botswana’s first professional horse racing starting gates were introduced at the 2025 edition of the Premier Champions Cup held on Saturday, December 13, at the Masa Racing Park in Samedupi. Officiated by Lesego Chombo, Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, the race featured competitors from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.
Although launched, the starting gates will be operational from February 2026. Minister Chombo hailed the gates as a major milestone that bridges the gap between local horse racing and international standards. They will be a significant upgrade from traditional starting methods, providing a fairer and more efficient way to commence horse races.
The development is a follow-up to Botswana’s gambling and horse racing regulators’ benchmarking mission to Windhoek, Namibia, in September to inspect the country’s new horse racing start gates. This trip was aimed at gathering expertise on modern starting gate technology to upgrade Botswana’s horse racing industry.
Chombo added that the government allocated P450,000 (€28,964) to develop the infrastructure in a bid to boost safety, ensure fair competition and promote professionalism in horse racing. She believes that the starting gates lay the foundation for sustained growth, positioning horse racing as a viable industry that can drive tourism and create opportunities in rural areas. The minister warned against illegal gambling, stressing the importance of protecting the sport’s integrity.
