07 Feb 2017

Today marks 150 days remaining for Botswana to host the Netball World Youth Cup (NWYC) 2017.

Twenty countries from America,  Oceania, Asia, African continent are divided in four groups, and pool A has New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Northern Island and Samoa.

In Pool B there is Australia, South Africa, Barbados, Zimbabwe and Singapore, the host Botswana is in group C with Jamaica, Cook Island, Malaysia and Uganda, while Pool D consist of England, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and Grenada.

Last year during the draw, the International Netball Federation (INF) president Molly Rhone said it was the first ever Netball World Youth Cup and to be hosted by Botswana,

She further said hosting Netball World Youth Cup 2017 would be a great opportunity to showcase Botswana to the world that they could deliver the games.

However, Botswana Netball Association (BONA) president, Tebogo Lebotse-Sebego said preparations were on going to host such a major event.

She said she was happy because they had finalised issues relating to team's accommodation, and that  teams would stay at three identified private hotels and the University of Botswana.

Giving update on the commercial and sponsorships, Lebotse-Sebego said this was an area that lacked behind.

She said   NWYC 2017 secretariat continued to engage potential sponsors, however, the response for the project from sponsors had been slow, adding they therefore continued to implore the private community to support the NWYC 2017.

“The total budget for the project is P 30 million with Government having committed P 10.9 Million towards the project. This 10.9 Million includes Team Botswana preparation and we dedicated about 40 percent of the allocation to Team Botswana,” she said.

Talking about the umpires for the NWYC2017, she said the INF has announced the 21 umpires who would at the centre stage during the games.

“Of significance for Botswana is that Abednico Chetelo has been named as one of the Umpires. Chetelo is a local umpire and coach who has been part if BONA for a very long time, “she said.

As for the Match Bench Officials (MBO's) she said this was an important legacy outcome for   Botswana as well as to ensure that to ensure that MBO's who would officiate at the NWYC2017 are Batswana, adding her organisation had been training them since 2014

“With the assistance of the INF, Thulaganyo Retshabile was accredited as MBO tutor during the Africa Netball Qualifiers in July 2016 and together with her team they have been able to train enough people for Botswana to be self-sufficient in this area,” she said. ENDS