BFA accuses DC tours of breach
Sport
Botswana Football Association (BFA) has terminated the contract of one of their partners, DC tours, roughly five months into the relationship accusing them of contract breach. The association says the company was not ready and has since replaced them with another travel and booking company known as Sky ways.
The football association says the former travel and tours company was caught failing to adhere to the terms of the contract-a procedure that ultimately affected the game negatively. According to information, DC tours and BFA signed a three-year deal where the company was to sponsor regional football with P1 million per season, which amount to P3 million in three years. It is said it was agreed that every other details concerning contract specification were to commence on July 2018.
BFA moles say DC tours was to first pop-out P250 000 that was to go straight into administration tray of regional football. However, according to the association, the company failed to honour their part even after a series of communication was sent to them. The association is of the view that it took this bold decision to terminate so as to protect and manage the negative publicity surrounding the game.
However, DC Tours said that the association was never serious with them just from the onset. They have also accused the BFA for neglecting and failing to engage them particularly on issues that deal with travelling. The association announced that their partnership with skyways is a strategic one. The company is expected to sponsor regional football with P250 000 per year for a duration of three seasons. The finances are expected to play part in youth development project as well as women football.
The Sky ways company is also expected to manage BFA travelling services at a lower rate. The association is breaking sweat to secure as many sponsors as it can to help professionalise domestic football. However, they are set to climb a high mountain while confronting a mammoth task of staying afloat with finances.
WeekendSport has established that the BFA’s pockets are now deeper than the ocean. The new administration as led by president Mac Lean Letshwiti claims to have inherited a P10 million deficit and 2 years on, the shortfall has reached the P18 million red marks.
BFA says the problem is complicated by some regions who are misusing funds. The BFA’s 17 regions are given P510 000 to govern their football affairs.
However, last week, the association suspended First Division North committee on grounds that they failed to account. A year ago, Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) observed that there was lack of segregation of roles that ultimately led to fraud together with insufficient accountability particularly that procurement was not handled by the right person for the job.
This led to the association failing to adequately retire funds back to BNSC by the end of 2017 financial year. The commission had recommended that the BFA management ensure best practices are put in place. The anomaly where nobody knows what they are doing at the finances offices has drastically left the association battling difficult financial doldrums.
Sport
Orange injects P350 000 into Phikwe marathon
Mobile network Orange Botswana is committed to supporting the development of local sport. Through its sponsorship, the company will be able to promote and market the sport. According to Maano Masisi, the company believes that sport can unite people from different backgrounds.
He stated that through the sponsorship of the marathon, the company will help promote healthy lifestyles and unity among the people of Selebi Phikwe.
The Selebi Phikwe Marathon is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2023. It is expected that it will attract international, regional, and social runners. A total of P216 000 has been allocated for the prize money for the first ten places in the 42.2 km race. For the 15km and 10km races, the LOC will give away prizes to the first five places.
Sport
Big Guns for Botswana Grand Prix
The National Stadium will be lit up with fireworks on April 29, 2023, as some of the best international athletes will participate in the maiden Botswana Grand prix.
This content is locked
Login To Unlock The Content!
Sport
AFRICA’S RECOVERY: Sports as game changer
The year 2022 witnessed unprecedented phenomena. Several Africans- Gotytom Gebreslase, Sharon Lokedi, Victor Kiplangat, Tamarit Tola and many others- swept the World’s marathons records.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting control measures implemented in several countries, led to many high-level sports competitions being cancelled or shelved, the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games was moved to 2026.
Founder and Executive Chairman, African Sports and Creative Institute, Will Mabiakop, says the inability to hold traditional and amateur sports events have had a serious effect on public health overall, including mental health, sparking a revolution whereby athletes began to talk more openly about stress, mental overload and performance anxiety.
“Africa is home to the fastest growing economies before the crisis, no longer on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). COVID-19 deepened interdependence between SDGs, making them harder to achieve, especially SDG 10 (reducing inequality) and SDG 5 (gender equality_ as the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on poorer countries, and heavier burdens (such as care work) fell to women.”
Mabiakop stresses that as policymakers contemplate actions to speed up recovery and build resilience, they must argue that sports and creative businesses should play a central feature in this effort.
“The sports economy worldwide is estimated at 5% of GDP, but only 0.5% in Africa. If exploited, Africa’s sports and creative industries can offer policymakers innovative solutions. Especially, as regards job creation, and providing employment to the 15 million people entering the job market annually.”
HOW CAN THE INDUSTRY DO THIS?
By leveraging the two-for-one concept: past studies shown that a 1% growth in the economy delivers a 2% job increment in this sector (these ratios are calculated using data from 48 African countries and adjusted to the reality of the sports economy in Africa by the authors). There are between 30 and 50 job types, in sports and creative industries, respectively. These jobs do not fade away with the first major shock.
Mabiakop indicated that policymakers can use these industries to tackle multiple crises- jobs, poverty, and climate risks. Sports diplomacy- defined as communication, representation and negotiation in or through the prism of sports- has proven effective in building inclusive and cohesive societies. Moreover, sports and the creative industry can support better mental health and well-being, both important for productivity.
“Policymakers can also be true to the game by leveraging culture and tradition to celebrate identity and reap commercial value in sports, textiles and jewelry. Creative sectors allow deeper connection with culture, are not easily copied and provide great economic potential.”
He said supporting grassroots sports has powerful distributional effects. “Fortunately, technology has made reaching wide audiences easier, generating higher rates of success when talent is discovered.”
However, Mabiakop held that potential pitfalls must be highlighted. “First avoid build it and they will come policies with infrastructures denuded from the rest of the ecosystem. Like the many sports stadiums left largely unused.”
“Policymakers must remain mindful of how these sectors move the needle in human capital development. Also, align the requisite public policies needed for progress from grassroots participation to professional sports, and even to international sporting events. They should also support investment instruments to render these sectors performant.”