12 Dec 2016

Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Maclean Letshwiti says his organisation is committed to enhancing and improving the standard of football in the country.

That, Letshwiti said could be achieved through the development of football from grassroots level in both genders.  

He said this during the launch of the BFA national women's youth league in the eastern block on December 10 at the Selebi Phikwe Stadium. He said in order to have great players that would represent the country in elite games or in the international arena, the country needs to start cultivating football and sport from an early stage.

Also, he said in order for football to develop and grow, a political will was needed.

He said football needs all stakeholders such as government and the private sector to play a role.

He said 80 percent of BFA’s budget had been focused on football development and 20 percent on the administration of the organisation.

He said football should also be included in the national agenda of economic diversification.

BFA’s target, he said was to guide, coordinate and integrate initiatives in order to transform Botswana football into a globally competitive knowledge through effective development programmes.

In all the 17 regions of the BFA, he noted that they intend to recruit more than 25 000 children who would participate in the youth football development project.

For his part, the mayor of Selebi Phikwe, Amogelang Mojuta commended BFA for initiating the women's youth league and launching the eastern block league in Selebi Phikwe especially during this time when the town was going through a transition period after closure of BCL Mine.

He said Selebi Phikwe had always been a sporting town with the intention to grow sport tourism in the mining town.

He requested BFA and Botswana National Sports Commission to work with Selebi Phikwe Town Council to avail sport facilities and upgrade those that already available in the town.

He said the organisations should also assist the council with maintaining and upgrading the Selebi Phikwe stadium.

The vice chairperson of the BFA national youth committee, Tlhagiso Sethibe noted that they intend to had good players, coaches and administrators in the football fraternity of this country in future.

He said the Selebi Phikwe region was fortunate enough to have high caliber coaches such as Kenneth Mogae who hails from Mmadinare who contributed to making Botswana take part in AFCON. He said as part of the youth development programme they intend to produce skilled players, youth coaches and referees.

Connie Mase from SPEDU said her organisation was happy to be associated with BFA and the development of football from grassroots level.

She said what was BFA was doing was in line with one of SPEDU's mandates of developing football and sport from grassroots level and converting or promoting Selebi Phikwe into a sport tourism area. SPEDU contributed P5 000 to  the initiative. ENDS