16 Dec 2014

Team Botswana represented the country well at the just ended African Union Sports Council (AUSC) region five in Zimbabwe.



Speaking at the welcome ceremony in Francistown on December 15, Chef De Mission, Healer Modiradilo, said the team’s target was to bring home 23 medals but managed to amass 32 medals placing the country in the fourth position out of 10.



He said apart from the team’s good performance, the athletes were well behaved and portrayed the principle of botho throughout the games.

 Modiradilo said the athletics team won 15 medals, six of which were gold. 



He said the champions in the athletics team were Karabo Sibanda for the 400 metres race, Leungo Matlhaku for 200m while Boitumelo Masilo was crowned the champion for the 800 and 1500 metres races.



Modiradilo said two additional gold medals were won in the relays. Other champions were Mahommed Otukile in boxing and Gavin Bogopa in the newly formed Judo team.

 Boxing won four medals, swimming three, tennis three, and ladies football a silver medal while the netball team won a bronze medal.


Chef de Mission  said basketball needed to double its efforts because it landed at the fifth position out of six. 

He applauded the medical personnel that accompanied the team, saying through their help, some of the athletes who were injured managed to participate.

Modiradilo appealed to the government to consider investing more in the sports medical technicians because most of the sports codes that the country did well in involved contact that in most instances resulted in injuries.



Earlier on, the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Edwin Batshu paid tribute to the team, coaches and managers for their sleepless nights in preparing to raise the country’s flag high.



He also thanked the Botswana Integrated Sport Association (BISA) and other sports codes for the excellent work that they did in schools.

 Batshu said the games were not only about winning medals but also accorded the athletes an opportunity to demonstrate their potential in sport.



“We are here today as the leadership to pay testimony to the significant role you continued to play and making this country proud, in keeping with the Vision 2016 pillar of a united and proud nation,” he said.


 Francistown mayor, Sylvia Muzila encouraged athletes to desist from indulging in drugs and continue with sporting activities to keep themselves healthy. 

 Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Wynter Mmolotsi said sportsmanship needed to be nurtured as it instilled discipline in the athletes.



He called on the government to consider improving sportspersons’ conditions to keep them motivated. ENDS