26 Jun 2016

Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) has agreed to the need of a full time national team coach during the association'’ annual general meeting (AGM) in Gaborone. 

The meeting took a decision to seek a highly qualified national team coach.

BoBA president Thato Patlakwe said the AGM’s objective was to map out the ideal strategies to advance boxing in Botswana, with the strategies informed by the association club members.

“As an association we must have a committed national team coach, not what it is currently happening with volunteering coaches,” he said.

He said with volunteering personnel, there was less committed as opposed to what the association may wish. Patlakwe said this makes it a challenge for them because there are some inconsistencies arising from such set up.

He further emphasised on the issue citing example to that of other sports codes who have national team coaches like the football national team. He said with such, the coach will bring about good results since the coach will have full focus on developing and setting up the national team unlike a temporary volunteering coach.

Furthermore, Patlakwe said the challenge they are facing with setting up the development is due monetary constraints.

However with the challenges they are facing, he said they have to go through the Botswana national sports commission on funding the project. He also stated that currently the money they have do not allow them to carry out the project.

On issues of sponsorship Patlakwe said there was need for his association to transform the boxing sport. He said they need to re brand the sport as an association in order attract sponsors  to invest in the code.

Patlakwe said one of the reasons he came aboard the executive was to resuscitate the developing programs and to making sure that the boxing standard in Botswana is made better.

 He explained that   boxing cannot attract masses to their events unlike in the past in which they were able to do so with ease. Therefore he said they need to move masses to their events which will make it possible to attract sponsors.

Untimely Patlakwe said he was happy for the outcome of the AGM citing that member association clubs now understand the worth of working together as a unit. He said the unity in which they had shown during the AGM will make it easy for the association's strategies to sow positive results.

For his part chairman of UB and Tsholofelo boxing club France Mabiletsa shared sentiments with regard to the outcome of the AGM saying he believed it courted positive results.

 Mabiletsa said the intention was to come out and contribute into helping boxing advance to a better level through a consultation.

He said he saw this very important since the boxing code have since a long time in the history of Botswana had not been able to have a single boxer qualifying for the Olympics.

He also said what was good to note from the AGM, in the past people used to be very negative during such meetings. However this time around he said was different because most people positively contributed to the meeting with good intentions for the development of boxing. Ends