Botswana football model explained
Sport
The wheels are in motion to professionalise Botswana football. At the turn of last week, the Botswana Premier League (BPL) reached a new milestone as they registered an entity whose mandate is to commercialise the domestic game without external influence.
Guided by FIFA— the world football governing body— the premier league engaged and perused different world wide football leagues models and reached a consensus to adopt an exemplary structure done by South African football and to a certain extent, England’s game.
For purposes of sponsorship negotiations, WeekendSport gathered that the elite league will be called Botswana Premiership having attained a certificate of incorporation with the company known as Botswana Football League (PTY) Ltd.The company will be owned by its 16 clubs where each team has one vote.
The company will stand as a separate entity with Botswana Football Association (BFA) holding a minor share. However, sources say the BFA share issue is still subject of discussion. There is another thought that the league company will be allowed to pay a certain levy to the association.
However, the association will not have a say on the commercial operations of the league. The league entity itself is the one responsible for the decisions regarding the commercial side of the game especially on sponsorship negotiations, television rights issue together with parachute payment for relegated clubs of the BPL in any given season.
Furthermore, the league is at liberty to enforce club licensing laws and also distributing revenues arising from collective deals.The premier league company is expected to appoint at least five directors from the 16 chairpersons. The directors in turn, will work with a board whose composition does not include members of the clubs of the elite league.
At the end of every season, it is expected that relegated clubs transfer their shares to newly promoted clubs. However, the Botswana football league model does not include clubs from First division yet, but the movers of this document content that the clubs from the lower stream will be catered to as the coordination is expanded.
Clubs, in this regard, are expected to turn into professional outfit and not operating as societies.The league acting Chief Executive Officer, Monnakgotla Mojaki is adamant that the process will bring about immediate results if there is cooperation from the football community.
“All these are first steps towards the realisation of football professionalism. Many countries started like this and it can become reality if we all show commitment and cooperation,” he said.As the process is in its infant stages, Jagdish Shah of Township Rollers has been given the mandate to run the project until it matures.
He is expected to work with Nikholas Zakhem of Gaborone United, Kelesitse Gilika of Gilport Lions together with Anthony Mokento of Prisons XI.Those who give this move a massive backing are adamant that it is a matter of time before the dreams turn into reality.
In Africa, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa and Senegal adopted an almost similar model to improve club performance and participation.
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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.
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“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.”
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“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.”
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“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.”
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“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.”
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