Sedimo appointed Sports Commission CEO
Sport
The revamped Botswana National Sports Commission has appointed long time sports serviceman Falcon Sedimo to position of Chief Executive Officer.
BNSC Board chairperson Solly Reikeletseng expressed gratitude at having a man of Sedimo’s caliber saying, that after the elevation of the status of his organization following the amendment and repealing of the Botswana National Sports Council Act, it was only fitting for the leadership structure to be bolstered with the appointment of a substantive head of secretariat in the form of Sedimo, who started his new role on the 1st of October 2015 after signing a 5 year contract with the sports commission.
The former school teacher who made forays into the sporting arena as a volleyball coach holds a Master’s of Science in Sports Management from Sheffield Hallam University in England and previously held the position of Secretary General of Botswana Integrated Sport Association (BISA).
Sedimo had initially worked at the defunct Department of Sports and Recreation in 1998 before serving as Chief Executive of Officer of the Botswana Football Association from February 2002 to March 2004 prior to working as an executive director of the now defunct Botswana National Youth Council from 2004 to October 2006. He then returned to the Department of Sports and Recreation where he stayed from November 2006 to March 2014 as director, before working as Policy Specialist responsible for sport and recreation in the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture from April 2014 to September 2015 where he joins BNSC from.
Reikeletseng also said that the BNSC is on a recruitment drive for a tried and tested team to staff the new ambitious commission with the process of the Human Resource and Administration Director as well as the Games Director is in near completion.
He continued saying that however the implementation of the new sport commission act will not be an easy feat as it involves developing a completely new culture to work on, developing a working relationship with strategic partners that encapsulates a complete overhaul of the system, where goals such as realising the development of elite and professional sport bracket, professionalizing local sports as well as capacitating local reporters will be realized.
Reikeletseng also said that the new recruit’s task will be organizing the games to be hosted by Botswana including the Netball World Youth Championship 2017, Softball World Conference 2017, IWG World Conference 2018, the AUSC Region 5, under 20 Youth Games 2018 as well as the nearing Botswana games billed December in Francistown as well as to implement the sport commission’s vision 2028 whose first phase ends in 2016.
For his part Sedimo guaranteed to set in place mechanisms to operationalize the commission, training his attention to the first two fledgling years of the commission.
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.
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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.”