10 Mar 2015

Former Commonwealth deputy secretary general, Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba says Commonwealth member states should focus on four areas if they seek to see sports as a medium for development and peace. 

Masire-Mwamba said the four areas are child protection in sports, using sports to promote social inclusion, fostering self-esteem and empowerment, building awareness and encouraging dialogue on sports development amongst others.

She was a guest speaker at the Botswana National Olympics Committee (BNOC) Commonwealth lecture themed: Uniting the Commonwealth Family through Sport.

Masire-Mwamba said sport brought people together and “this unifying thread is amplified when our sports take centre stage on a global platform such as world cup, Olympic Games, Regional Games and the Commonwealth Games.”

She said the Commonwealth is a family rather than an organisation. “A family that, much like our own families, amalgamate a myriad of cultures, skills, expertise, influence, resources all for the common upliftment and sustainable development of all,” she added.

She said that the Commonwealth Games have played an important role in positioning the games within the Commonwealth structures and driven the Commonwealth Federation into the 21st century.

“As a sporting event, the Games have had to build upon past achievements and learnt to develop a product that reflects today’s modern environment for both consumer and its participants,” she said.

In his welcome remarks, BNOC president, Negroes Kgosietsile said the BNOC is the Commonwealth Games representative in Botswana responsible for ensuring preparation and selection of Team Botswana for all Commonwealth Games.

He said that Botswana has done very well at the last editions of the Commonwealth Games and he thanked the Botswana government, the corporate world and Batswana in general for the support. 

He noted that Botswana’s maiden appearance was at the then British Commonwealth Games in 1974 at Christchurch, New Zealand and Botswana’s first medal was a bronze at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth edition by Flora Anderson for Lawn Bowls.

He said through the public lecture, BNOC aimed to create awareness on the Commonwealth ideals and their mission to promote the spirit of Olympism, advance elite sport and mass participation in sport by Batswana. ENDS