Athletics constituency league on the cards
Sport
The Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture is seriously contemplating to introduce constituency league in athletics to meet the ever changing dynamics of sports in the country-the idea is to start rigorous preparations for next big competitions, highly placed sources have said.
In a country where football has dominated the thinking capacity of sports authorities, athletics is fast coming into consideration hence the idea to initiate the league country wide. Sources say the football constituency tournament which was introduced primarily for gauging talent, will be used as a template of guidance when setting up the athletics model.
It is said that the Ministry have observed with pleasure and dissatisfaction in equal measure that there is raw talent in athletics-particularly in the field but many times, lack of resources is a major stumbling block.
According to a report, it is the sole intention of the Ministry to capture the talent and monitor it through the stages until it is ready for bigger worldwide competitions. Investigations reveal that, annually, the existing constituency league, which include football, volley ball and netball need an estimated of P40 million to operate in all 67 constituencies. Participants are estimated to be around 80 000.
In the last two Olympics games, Botswana has sent athletes but results have not been pleasing to the entire nation. Only Nigel Amos- an 800meters runner has a silver medal.
As of going to print, the Ministry have not responded to this publication enquiry, but sources confidently say ‘‘the notes are scribbled down for further consideration.’’
While existing tournaments have in the past strained relation with other ‘professional leagues,’ it is believed that once the athletics is brought into the picture, a smooth understanding will be crafted to avoid unnecessary pitfalls.
In the past, the football constituency tournament brought a can of worms between Botswana Football Association (BFA) and the government when FIFA, a world football governing body clawed into the country, demanding answers why the government is running the football and not BFA. A common understanding was however reached that BFA will be responsible for the technical administration of the game while the government, which is the main financer, will continue to police the league.
Botswana Athletics Association(BAA) is to be told about the plan. This, according to insiders, will now boost their hopes of building a multi million pula high performance centre.
A proposal was made early last year for a high performance training centre to be built in or around Gaborone. At the time, the athletics committee proposed that such a facility will be built for the betterment and developments of athletes and coaches to elevate them to international class standards.
Through the proposal, WeekendSport learnt that a 5 star hotel was envisaged together with BAA head office to house, among others, administration offices and 29 self contained accommodation rooms. In the main stadium, there would be space for athletics events, football together with rugby games. The impeding constituency league is expected to even fast-track the plan.
Sport
It’s do or die for Zebras
The senior national team, the Zebras, is currently in Equatorial Guinea to for an African Cup of Nations Qualifiers tie. Before they departed, the team’s coach, Mogomotsi Mpote, had his troops train in Morocco. This was through the agreement between the two countries.
The agreement between the BFA and the Fédération Moroccan Football Association states that the two nations will work together to organize friendly matches between their respective national teams. It also allows the establishment of football camps for the youth categories (U-15, U-17, and U-20), this includes women’s national teams.
The national team has played over 180 minutes in its two qualifying matches against Tunisia and Libya. Currently, the Zebras, Lesotho and Liberia are the only teams that haven’t scored yet in the competition (this is correct by press time on Friday).
Before the match against Equatorial Guinea match, the local boys who were once known as the whipping boys of Africa in the early 2000s, were languishing at the bottom of the log standings in group J. They lost their first match away to Libya on June 1, 2022. However, they managed to salvage a point against Tunisia last year.
Before the team left for Equatorial Guinea, coach Mpote urged his players to focus on keeping their hopes of making a return trip to the AFCON finals alive after an 11 year absence since the maiden appearance in 2012. He noted that they would not allow their opponents to score and would ensure that they would get a draw.
Despite the various changes that have occurred in the two countries’ football landscape, the two teams have only met once before. In 2010, the local boys defeated the Equatorial Guinea team in a friendly match, which ended in an emphatic win for the visitors. Since then, the two sides have realised different fortunes in FIFA rankings, with Equatorial Guinea ranked 51 places above the Zebras.
Meanwhile, in their last six games, Guinea has only managed to win one of them. They drew with Rwanda and Togo in September 2022 friendlies. They have found the back of the net just twice in their six games. On the other hand, the Zebras, won one match against Zambia and lost four on their way to finishing at the bottom of the group with four points. At the conclusion of their previous AFCON campaign, the local boys traveled to Zambia and secured a draw.
MPOTE CONFIDENT
Despite the recent results of the Guinean team, which have only managed to draw with Rwanda and Togo in their last six matches, coach Mpote is still confident that his team will perform well against the hosts.
According to the head coach, the local boys have the necessary skills and resources to perform well against any country. He noted that the team’s coaches have been studying abroad to gain a deeper understanding of the various aspects of football.
“Tactically they should also be ready. We need your (Botswana fans) usual support, when we come back from Equatorial Guinea, we will go to Francistown, and we will need you. You are our 12th player, and you are very important to us.”
OBED ITANI CHILUME STADIUM CERTIFIED
This week, the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) Tuelo Serufho revealed that the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium will host the return leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the local boys and Equatorial Guinea. The venue had initially failed an inspection test conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). However, following the completion of the necessary works, the stadium was allowed to host the match.
According to BNSC Chief, Tuelo Serufho, the various requirements that the stadium must meet included having a designated parking area for the media and spectators, as well as having signage that will guide the spectators. He also noted that the venue now has a world-class media area.
Sport
Jagdish Shah rejects Rollers society
Township Rollers, one of the country’s most decorated football clubs with 15 premier league titles, is finding itself in a precarious situation as its long-term chief financier, Jagdish Shah, threatens to dump them if the society does not bow down to his demand of forfeiting their 20 percent interest in the company.
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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.