25 Jan 2016

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has commended the private sector for supporting sport. Speaking at a luncheon he hosted in Gaborone on Sunday for the executive committees of Botswana Football Association, Botswana Softball Association and Botswana Volleyball Federation, President Khama said government would continue to support sport with the little available resources.

In recent years, he said, Botswana did well in international stage. “This luncheon is a gesture of support from me and government and to remind you that I am your patron and again as a sport enthusiast, I have a keen interest on the performance of national sporting codes,” he said.

President Khama said interaction between him and various sporting codes had been scarce, therefore he wanted to rectify that. “BFA has been briefing me fairly regularly on their goals, plans and challenges and I want other sporting codes to do the same because I love sport and want to see it reach greater heights,”   he said.  

For his part, Minister of Sport, Youth and Culture, Mr Thapelo Olopeng, said President Khama’s love for sport motivated them to keep going even in hard times. “The President has shown over time that he is a parent for sport and his support has been unwavering,” he said.

He stated that the biggest challenge for sport was lack of funding. Minister Olopeng said it was also reassuring that sport administrators understood what was required to run sport.

“Sport administration is in good hands and people from outside the country have fallen in love with Botswana and want the country to host reputable sporting competitions and meetings,” he said, adding that recently when he was in Samoa, the vice president of the Commonwealth suggested that Botswana should host the Commonwealth Games.

He further said his ministry and relevant stakeholders would continue lobbying for the country to host the African Cup of Nations even though there was a stumbling block. “One of the requirements is that we should have a stadium capacity of 40 000, but we will keep knocking on their doors and see what can be done,” he said.

Mr Olopeng further pleaded with sport administrators to work together. “We have a dream of professionaliing sport and I want you to stop the in-fighting and work together to realise this dream of taking sport to the next level,” he said.
Botswana National Sports Commission chairperson, Mr Solly Reikeletseng, said, next year, Botswana would host the World Baseball Confederation (WBSC) congress and 150 countries were expected to attend.

Mr Reikeletseng applauded government for its continued support of sport saying this translated in the success the country enjoyed with various sporting codes continentally and internationally. “We have showed that we are a force to be reckoned with and can compete with anyone,” he said. BOPA