24 Jan 2016

The future of Sankoyo Bush Bush Bucks is promising following induction of a new executive committee comprising some of Maun successful business people. 

About seven new faces were co-opted into the committee after the resignation of the former chairman and the team manager. 

The committee led by Apollo Moalosi, a prominent businessman, was determined to turn the fortunes of the Ngurungu boys and see the team being a force to be reckoned with.

The committee is planning to privatise the team, which was community owned since its inception. 

Moalosi said in an interview that their aim was to give the team a better image. 

He explained that their plan to privatise the team was at an advanced stage noting that they had secured an office and identified a lawyer, accountant and a doctor.

“We are step ahead in this exercise as 75 per cent of the work has been achieved and we believe before the beginning of August we would be running the team as a business entity”.

He said their intention was to address Sankoyo community to sensitise them about the transition.

The team, which originates from the dusty village of Sankoyo, was started by young boys who were always  idling in the streets of Sankoyo due to lack recreational activities in the area.

He explained that their aim was to transform the club and made it more visible and marketable. 

Moalosi described the team as a brand adding that running it as a business will address financial issues as they will be able to secure some investors who will put money in the club or buy some shares.

Since its promotion to the premier league, Ngurungu Boys had been struggling to secure a sponsorship and relied on financial assistance from the executive committee, grant from the premier league, gate takings and some micro funders.

In an effort to secure a sponsorship, the management held a meeting with the business community to sensitize them about the benefits of sponsoring a football team. Moalosi said the business community should appreciate that they had experienced growth since the team was promoted to the elite league.

He appealed for sponsorship from the business community in the North West District towards the survival of the area’s only team in the premier league.

The new treasurer, Sipho Ndaba explained that at the moment the team has zero balance in the account and stated that the new committee is coming in to raise funds and look for sponsors. He said they had appointed a board of trustees to advise them on ways of generating funds.

He said initially the club relied much on donations which were not enough to take care of the players’ welfare. 

He also noted that it also came to their attention that some members were using the name of the team to ask for donations to benefit themselves.

Ndaba revealed that their primary objective was to boost the financial muscle and make the team viable. 

He emphasized the need to budget properly and put some financial control measures in place to reduce expenditure.

Meanwhile, the issue of running local teams as businesses came after FIFA and CAF put a regulation that all clubs should apply for a license in order to participate in the premier league.

Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Tebogo Sebego explained that club licensing is a new development for teams in the top league adding that there are some set standards and requirements which teams had to observe in order to be issued with a license.

He appreciated the fact that Sankoyo club has made some strides as it is a step ahead in the exercise. 

Sebego explained that the idea of licensing is not meant to chase away teams but to ensure players welfare are taken care of and also to take football as a product that one could make ends meet.

He said a licensing committee would be set up to ensure all teams are assisted easily to meet the requirements. Ends