BFA seals Masters’ fate
Sport
BFA CEO given leave extension
The Botswana Football Association (BFA) and its under fire Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Keith Masters have tumbled and rumbled more than once behind closed doors, and the two parties’ relationship seems to be deteriorating very fast.
A task committee which was set up to assess Keith Masters’ deliverables has submitted a report on the Briton’s short spell and apparently it does not give him much credit.
While Masters is currently fighting off duty episodes, The BFA’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is more concerned with his on duty calls and will vet him based on the report recently submitted by the taskforce team.
This publication learns that Masters was this week another leave extension and more scrutiny being done on his portfolio.
Weekendsport learns that the BFA NEC assembled a taskforce group to assess Masters’ dependability and expertise as the CEO of the association. It is reported that the group was appointed sometime in January and immediately started trailing the chief administrator of the association. Before allegations of pornographic materials were levelled against him, Masters was slapped with a letter to demonstrate why action could not be taken against him in as far as his work was concerned, reports say.
This week, after the arrival of the president of the association, Tebogo Sebego from Equatorial Guinea, the taskforce is said to have submitted the gloomy report. The taskforce comprising of five NEC members was assigned to study Masters’ Portfolio from the time he took over the seat of CEO until now.
Currently, indications are that Masters is not enjoying his office as much as he would like to because of souring relations with some staff members and the combination of complaints from the administrative team to anxious technical persons within the BFA. Some observers however feel that Masters is a victim of infighting. But it is clear that some members of the BFA hierarchy accuse him of perceived blame culture hence pushing for his dismissal.
When contacted for comment, BFA president, Tebogo Sebego could not furnish this publication with answers; while Marshlow Motlogelwa, vice president of the association avoided talking about Masters’ future only saying, “A detailed report will be released as soon as the NEC is done.”
BUT WHAT ARE MASTERS’ DELIVERABLES?
In an attempt to gather what Keith was hired to do, WeekendSport has managed to turn out at least four deliverables that a handful of NEC members feel the Briton has fallen short on.
As the former CEO of Kent football back in England, he was expected to apply his mind in helping to professionalise Botswana football. The second deliverable was that the Briton should work effortlessly to close the gap between constituency football and the elite league.
Such mandate was to see him helping to create a link between regions and the BFA structures. Of the initial 16 regions, he is reported to have visited only three. Keith was also expected to implement a method of training compensation for football players after the case of Tsotso Ngele tied Gabane Santos and Township Rollers. He came at a time when the Coca-Cola Company was pulling out and was expected to attract investors to the association but all this has not yet happened.
SUCCESS STORY: ASHFORD MAMELODI
But how did he manage to complete his term? Asked to talk about his experience as the only CEO to have completed his full tenure in the BFA hot seat, FIFA development officer, Ashford Mamelodi said: “I am not privy to what the goings on are at the Botswana Football Association Secretariat that might be the cause for CEO's leaving the Association without staying for long as I am not a part of the organization since leaving in 2000.”
“Amongst the things I enjoyed most during my time at the BFA and which might have contributed to my longevity of tenure was the environment that I worked in. I was fortunate and privileged to work for teams of leaders (NEC) who were very clear on good corporate governance. Role charity was never an issue and when it did rear its ugly head it would be nipped in the bud. Collective responsibility was simply not negotiable.
Staff loyalty and an excellent work ethic prevailed, where serving football came before ' what is in it for me;' where people were proud to work for the game and low salaries were not a deterrent to optimum performance; and where working standards were not compromised. Most importantly my staff and I were allowed to do our work uninterrupted and I was held accountable to the leadership. Micro management by the NEC at the Secretariat was taboo.
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.”