28 Sep 2015

Botswana National Sport Commission has inducted five sports pioneers in Botswana to its Hall of Fame.

The five are the late Lady Olebile Masire who was inducted for her commitment in the people living with disabilities in sport, as the Special Olympics patron from 1989 until her death.

Ray Molomo was also recognised. He was at the helm of Botswana Football Association in 1968 as the president, and it was during his leadership that the four divisions, the super league, first, second and fourth division were said to be formed.

Another pioneer who was inducted for the development of softball in Botswana was Andrew Mokoto who led the game as the softball association president for 19 years, and in 1980 he was one of the influential administrators behind the construction of the National Softball Diamond in Gaborone.

France Mabiletsa was inducted for being one of the few boxers to represent the country at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth, and he was the first Motswana to win medals at All Africa Games and Commonwealth Games.

Sexton Kowa was recognised for amongst others to collaborate with Kgosi Linchwe for changing the national team colours to the national flag from the then black and white striped Zebras colours.

Speaking at the induction ceremony, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Thapelo Olopeng said pursuant to the establishment of  Vision 2016, his ministry was assigned the pillar of a united and proud nation as its mandate.

He said as a matter of fact, delivery in sport begins with individual efforts towards team effort, organisation efforts and to a collective good of the nation.

“This is why we are gathered here today with icons of sport to recognise and celebrate the glory that they brought to us in the past and still bring to date,” he said.

Olopeng further said their contribution in sport has been an inspiration to modern day Botswana’s global competitiveness in sport, adding that the nation now prides itself of the change in architecture of sport as a result of the foundation built by the pioneers of sport.

The minister further said rewarding the icons was therefore befitting and a step in the right direction towards professionalising and commercialising sport.

“The information available in the Hall of Fame will be useful to sport researchers and those responsible for documenting our performance in sport post-independence” he said.

Receiving the honour on behalf of, Mma-Gaone, Botswana’s second President, Sir Ketumile Masire said God had blessed Botswana with a woman of Mma-Gaone’s calibre, adding that she was one woman who was a light where there was darkness.

He said the first lady was a social catalyst, more especially when dealing with people leaving with disabilities in sport, and she did that by encouraging them and accompanied them whenever they went for World Games.

BNSC, chairperson Solly Reikeletseng said sport is a vocation whose participants are driven by passion, adding in pursuit of one passion there is never a chance of expectation of accolades.

Still at the same event Debswana and KBL were recognised for their contribution in sport . ENDS