Kgosimore for BAA CEO post
Sport
Long time Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) acting CEO, Thato Kgosimore, who was recently relieved of his duties at the Commission is expected to become the first ever Chief Executive Officer of Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) beginning of next month, WeekendSport has learnt.
Although there are numerous other names linked to the plum post, Kgosimore remains the front runner tipped to spearhead athletics to greater heights, sources say. In fact, the sources further say his offer letter has already been signed and stamped by the Commission’s top brass.
The association’s CEO post comes at the right time. Sport commercialisation in the country is taking course, and some of the country’s athletes are doing very well on the international stage. The post has been specially created as an endeavour to commercialise the association by sport leaders.
Currently BAA has only one national championship that is sponsored by Senn Foods, thanks to the association VP Glody Dube who through his Kayelihle guest house also sponsored another national meet this year. As CEO for the association, it is expected that Kgosimore will use his expertise to cajole the business community into the ‘ailing’ association.
However, the salary for the new plum post will be footed by the BNSC since BAA’s coffers are dried up at the moment. According to close sources, the sports Commission, which is the one that orchestrated the idea will be paying the salary until the BAA’s budget is approved next year (2016) April.
“Because they have aligned their budget to that of the government, the association is expected to start paying their employee after their budget is given the thumbs up by the BNSC next year,” a source close to the developments told WeekendSport.
Kgosimore has served the sports fraternity for a long time; he served at the BNSC as a Business Development Director before he was elevated to the CEO post on interim basis last year. It is believed he could be the panacea for the association. He is no stranger to sports too; he has played lawn tennis for the country, being a prominent in the sport for some 20 years.
“We are looking for someone who is abreast with athletics issues locally and again who can bring money to BAA,” Dube, the association VP was quoted saying.
Again it is said BNSC opts for him because “they wanted someone who they know and who won’t demand much in terms of ‘unnecessary’ allowances and there is much faith in him that he is the better man for the job because of his initial portfolio at the commission.”
According to the proponents of the idea which among others is said to be Minister of Sports, Thapelo Olopeng, companies should pour money into the association so that the athletes’ welfare among others will be well catered for.
Although the President of the association, Moses Bantsi couldn’t be drawn into discussing who would be the new CEO, he said the association was in dire need of a CEO. “In principle we need a CEO and among others he should deal with development and obviously issues of High Performance Centres,” Bantsi said.
He further added “on top of that we want someone who can communicate with the public and market the association.”
The association has in the past lamented the mushrooming of marathons which they view as a money generating gimmick by organisers. It is expected that upon assuming office, he will address this issue among others, as well as drive the much touted sports city, which has yet to be developed because of finances.
Efforts to get hold of BNSC Chairperson, Solly Reikeletseng proved futile as his mobile phone rang unanswered at the time of going to press.
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