30 Aug 2016

After undertaking a networking trip to the Rio 2016 Olympics, head coach of the Handball Association of Botswana (HAB), Harwinder Singh Dhaliwal says he is eager to tap onto his new insight and turn handball into an international medal-winning code for the country.

The highly qualified Indian-born coach went to the Olympics as a technical observer, but also held discussions with the managing director of International Handball Federation (IHF), Amil Khalifa, talking extensively on how Botswana can benefit from its partnership with IHF. 

Speaking in an interview on his return from Brazil last week, Dhaliwal said Khalifa has assured her organisation’s support in developing handball in Botswana by giving HAB more balls and technical assistance. 

He said the international body has already given HAB a handball court worth half a million Pula in the past. 

“In our meeting with Madam Khalifa we had a long discussion about handball in Botswana.

She was concerned about our handball not being part of the school sports programme. 

So we need to make sure that we are accommodated in the sports competitions for Botswana schools. 

I informed her that we are already working to make sure that next time handball will be part and parcel of the school sports competitions,” Dhaliwal said. 

According to Dhaliwal, the IHF managing director was impressed by how handball was progressing in Botswana. 

Dhaliwal said the association has trained over 30 teachers through a solidarity programme to coach handball in schools and also held a successful junior national competition recently. 

Dhaliwal explained that from holding handball coaching he has realised that Botswana has a lot of potential to become a competitive handball playing nation and win medals internationally. 

“There is a lot of interest from children on handball. I have also seen a lot of potential. 

The junior national handball competition we held recently at the University of Botswana(UB)  attracted good participation from kids from eight schools and they showed a lot of enthusiasm,” said Dhaliwal, who explained that he started playing handball as a teenager and went on to represent India in the handball world cup.

“I later came to Botswana and taught handball under the physical education department for over 20 years at UB. I have done all the professional courses required to coach handball and I am recognised by the International Handball Association. 

I have been here for more than 20 years and I want to help grow handball in this country,” said the passionate coach, stressing that handball is a simple sport and easy to play and does not require expensive facilities. 

Dhaliwal pointed that the sport was already being played in several English Medium schools around Gaborone, as well as some government schools in Gaborone, Kopong, Maun, and Molepolole among others.

“Handball is growing in schools and it is doing well. The only thing that we have to do is to make it part of the programme of Botswana Integrated Sports Association,” he said. 

Apart from schools, Dhaliwal said Botswana has also shown growth at international level.

The country made its maiden appearance at the International Handball Federation Trophy in Zambia in 2014, and according to the coach, the team did well after beating Swaziland and losing narrowly to South Africa and Lesotho. 

He said their ultimate plan was to introduce a handball league in future to help grow the sport. 

Dhaliwal said handball was established in this country at UB as a course under the physical education department.  

He said years later the HABwas established in 2013 and affiliated to the Botswana National Sports Commission and the Botswana National Olympics Committee. 

“We are a solid body now and are trying to make sure that we show the nation that handball is being played in Botswana.

Handball can do wonders and bring medals for Botswana. It is a very easy game and I ask people to enroll themselves in handball,” he said. ENDS