01 Jul 2015

Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) South Central Zone manager, Joy Kenosi, says teachers need technical support to ensure that they produce skilled and competitive boxers.

Joy Kenosi said this in an interview on the sidelines of the BISA boxing tournament in Gaborone over the weekend. The tournament, the first following the resolution of the feud between teachers and the employer over overtime issues, left a lot to be desired.

There were many hitches ranging from boxers’ matching, poor ventilation due to overcrowded hall, some students had their colleagues as their coaches while a number of boxers were disqualified for various reasons.

Kenosi explained that some schools started their preparations only after the Ministry of Education and Skills Development allocated warrants for overtime.

He also said there were few qualified boxing coaches in schools and thus hopeful that the issue would be the Botswana Boxing Association's (BoBA) priority area.

“Most of the coaches are new while the old ones are stale because the last coaching clinic was held in 2012. It is undeniable that our coaches need help,” he said. Competitions manager, Phetogo Tsheko said the day’s events had substantiated that BISA required the association’s support.

“Meanwhile, during the competition, it was obvious that boxers in Gaborone were doing better than their counterparts from other parts of the country because most of them belong to clubs.

One exciting bout was between Kutlwano Ogaketse of GSS and Mothusi Banoziba of Mogoditshane Senior Secondary School under the elite category.

Kutlwano is a DTCB boxing club member and that saw him display skill and outclass his opponent, forcing the referee to stop the fight in the second round.

Best results from the zonal meet would see boxers contest at the national BISA competitions slated for July 10-14. Ends