19 May 2014

All eyes will be on Team Botswana as the African Youth Games kick off on Thursday, May 22 with all the 197 young diamonds expected to make the country proud on their home ground.

The youngsters were on May 17officially sent off by the acting Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Shaw Kgathi in Gaborone where he told tthem they should grab the opportunity and treasure this moment as they would be paving way to successful careers.

Minister Kgathi said the decision for Botswana to host the games was announced in less than a year hence limited time to prepare for the games but the nation was able to live to the challenge.

He said he was humbled by the response received from Batswana in heeding the call to contribute towards the games adding that this gave assurance that the goal set by the country of being a “united and proud nation” by 2016 is not a fallacy.

Kgathi said the theme for the games: Unleashing Africa’s Stars was in line with government’s commitment of creating opportunities for young people to flourish and be able to shine and compete globally.

He noted that there were many benefits associated with hosting these games. “In 2010 we were able to send a team of 17 owing to the limited resources but with the games coming to Botswana we are able to field 197 young people who would otherwise have not made it to these games and as a result missing the opportunity to be discovered.”

The minister congratulated the selected team and told them to cherish every moment of representing the country as it was a great honour to put on national colours.

He said the assignment comes with a huge responsibility and should therefore represent what the country stands for as ambassadors.
Furthermore, he said coaches had done their part in preparing the team and what was important was for athletes to have the right frame of mind to be in competition.

“The mental preparedness determines whether you win or lose, you should not be intimidated by the body build of your competitors.” The acting minister told the athletes that the whole nation was ready to rally behind them and they should therefore take advantage of the home ground.

Kgathi stated that the 30 medal target should not limit athletes but go all out and fight for medals as he believed they could achieve more. He said Botswana as a member of World Anti-Doping Agency Board had a key responsibility to ensure that the games were free from use of performance enhancing substances.

Athletes were called on to stay away from drugs and shun peers who might want to persuade them to indulge in drugs. Receiving the national flag on behalf of the team, Team Botswana chef de mission Tshepo Sitale promised that they would be good ambassadors.

He said they would uphold the spirit of olympism which in Setswana culture was the spirit of Botho. Team Botswana would return the flag in good manner which they received it in accompanied by medals, he added.

Confirmed competition venues are National Stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies, rugby and football finals. UB Stadium will host athletics whereas Otse Police College hosts tiathlon. The Botswana National Youth Centre will be battle ground for basketball and table tennis.

Botho University multipurpose hall is playground for boxing while Boipuso Hall is set for weightlifting and karate. Cycling will take part in Gaborone roads which include Riverwalk and Gaborone Game Reserve.

Young golfers will test their mettle at Gaborone Golf Club whereas Gaborone Tennis Centre hosts tennis. Botswana Netball Association (BONA) Courts hosts netball and Molepolole IHS for volleyball.

The games kick off on May 22 to 31 in Gaborone attracting 2 500 youth aged between 14-18 across the 54 African countries participating in 21 sporting codes. Ends