19 Apr 2017

Botswana Football Association(BFA) president Maclean Letshwiti has yesterday urged all Batswana to support soccer.

Letshwiti said Monday officially closing a three day inter-regional  youth soccer tournament in Kanye. Letshwiti said football gave children hope, discipline and kept them fit.

He said the tournament was the beginning of a journey to develop youngsters into all rounded future ball players.”If you take this initiative seriously, you will become the Tsotso Ngeles of tommorrow, we will give you the support you need,”he told the young ball players.

Letshwiti said the spirit of volunteerism was vital especially in grassroots soccer development across the nation thus thanked everyone who made the tournament a success.

He said every Motswana should be involved in the development of soccer adding his organisation was only a custodian. Like any worthwhile undertaking, he said they would face some challenges along the way and encouraged them not to lose heart.

He said his organisation would give them the necessary support.

Southern district council chairperson Alec Seametso commended BFA for picking his area for the tournament.He said sports had a potential to diversify the economy and create employment for the youth.

Seametso advised BFA to come up with structures to identify, nurture talent and enable the youth to eke out a living though soccer. He also commended regional coaches for their sacrifice.

SOFA block technical development officer   Bonniface Lekaba  said the object of the showpiece was to unearth talent in the region. He said the display on the ground was superb adding they managed to select under 13, 15, 17 block squads which would slug it out at the national block competition.

Lekaba however was concerned that Kanye residents did not come in good numbers to watch the children play.He said the spirit of the initiative was to get the young ball players used to playing in a league system. He observed that Kanye had a lot of talent but decried that  most of the players prefered informal leagues hoping to get a quick buck.

Former Township Rollers managing director Somerset Gobuiwang also encouraged Batswana to support the initiative, which he described as a building block for the future. Meanwhile Southern district under 17 girls emerged champions after winning all their four matches, while the Kweneng region came tops on the boys category.

South East girls were crowned champions for the under 13 category, while the Gaborone region snatched the prize for boys. Gaborone boys also won the under 15 boys category  with Kgatleng region girls. BOPA