24 Jul 2016

Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture (MYSC), Thapelo Olopeng says the good of the Olympic Day commemorations is to promote participation in sport regardless of age, gender or athletic ability. 

Speaking at the commemorations characterised by various sporting activities at the National Stadium on July 23,  Olopeng emphasised the role that sport had in society and how it could assist communities to foster social cohesion and tolerance in order to achieve goodwill. 

He said the key message was to promote benefits of physical exercise and at the same time inspiring people to get active and enabling them to discover new sports while embracing Olympic ideals regardless of ability or background. Nonetheless, Botswana started commemorating the Olympic Day in the 80s and since then it had consistently held commemorations. 

While most of the countries around the world had already commemorated the day, MYSC and Botswana National Olympic Committee agreed to have the event this past weekend to avoid clashes with SADC Double Troika Summit of Head of States and Government and also the Toyota 1000 Desert Race held in Gaborone and Jwaneng respectively last month.

Meanwhile, countdown to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from August 5-21 is now at an advanced stage. On the sidelines of the Olympic Day celebrations, the team that would represent Botswana at the greatest sporting event was officially announced. 

Team Botswana is made of athletics in Christine Botlogetswe of ladies 100m, Lydia Jele, 200m, Isaac Makwala, 400m and 4x4 relay, Karabo Sibanda, 400m and 4x4 relay, Baboloki Thebe, 400m and 4x4 relay, Nigel Amos 800m and 4x4 relay, Boitumelo Masilo 800m, Leaname Maotoanong, 4x4 relay and Onkabetse Nkobolo also of 4x4 relay. 

The team would be in the company of their coach, Justice Dipeba, Mogomotsi Otsetswe, assistant coach and Glody Dube as team manager. 

Botswana will also send a representative in Judo who is Gavin Bogopa and his coach Kingsley Segokotlo. Naomi Ruele and David Van Der Colff will represent the country in swimming. The country’s 2016 Rio Olympic Games theme song dubbed ‘Our Golden Year’ was also launched. Ends