Why Dragojlo is stuck at Peleng
Sport
Extension Gunners grand plan of throwing out Sebian coach, Dragojlo Stan…… has backfired. The club finds itself between a rock and a hard place as the struggle to part ways with the Serbian coach continues.
Information reaching WeekendSport suggests that Dragojlo is still in possession of the ‘club’s vehicle and enjoys a rather cordial relationship with club financer, Cassim Dada. To date, the former Centre chiefs gaffer has not received a formal dismissal letter due to the club‘s perennial infighting.
Storm clouds still hover over the Peleng side, even after appointing new chairman Kitso Dlamini and reports that Dlamini’s camp was divided upon the appointment of the coach have been dismissed as Dragojlo continues to lead the club after proving his critics wrong when Gunners enjoyed an impressive first round.
Dlamini’s camp is said to have grown more impatient and showed the Sebian international the door, and the situation, according to speculations could have been fed by the club seeking its own identity. They then reportedly ambushed Notwane coach Calvin Petersen who to this date is without a work permit. His ascendance to the team‘s hot seat unfortunately lingers on the ability of the team to clear off Dragojlo. According to labour laws, Gunners will have to explain and show that they have indeed parted ways with Dragojlo more so that another foreigner is lined for the job.
As things stand, the club stand is in a lockdown about the future of the man who would essentially succeed Dragojlo however there is little to restore the team‘s dented pride. A series of meetings are said to be staged behind closed doors and it emerged that neither Dragojlo nor Calvin are the targeted coaches if the club is indeed insistent in turning its fortunes around.
Reports coming in from the club boardrooms suggest that there is a side leading for reconciliation primarily to swing the pendulum in favour of their former coach, Daniel Nare. Although Nare himself has labelled this as ‘corridor talk’, his unexpected resignation at Ramotswa based outfit Letlapeng after just four games raises eyebrows.
All the while, Dragojlo still attends Gunners games and at times goes beyond the call of a mere spectator to dish out instructions to a team he claims to dearly love.
With the reported fall out between Gunners chairman Dlamini and Dada, Dragojlo remains attached to the club and on the other hand Calvin Petersen is allegedly used as a pawn in a careful chess game to protect and safe guard the interests of Daniel Nare.
The Club chairman has downplayed all the reports as “nothing concrete and malicious reports intended to derail the club.”
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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.
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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.”