22 May 2017

Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) president Negros Kgosietsile is the new president of Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committees (COSANOC) for a four year term that will lapse in 2021.

Briefing the BNOC affiliates at the ordinary general assembly on Saturday, Kgosietisle said his election automatically made him one of the regional vice presidents at Association of National Olympic Commitee Of Africa (ANOCA)  representing Region 6.

He said he was confident that his experience as BNOC president would help him champion the cause of sport in the region as well as contribute meaningfully to sport and olympism at continental level.

Furthermore, he said BNOC, CEO Tuelo Serufho was also elected as the COSANOC secretary general also for the same period, adding however that this position did not have a seat on the ANOCA board.

Kgosietsile announced that therefore COSANOC office would relocate to Botswana, adding that its proximity to other regional structures such as the African Union Sports Council Region five, the Africa

Regional VI RADO and the Commonwealth regional office should make it possible for better programme coordination and sharing of resources.

Talking about the elite athlete development and their support structures, he said despite the limited financial resources at their disposal, they continued to do their best to support elite athletes in Botswana, working in partnership with their national federations.

“Just to give as an example, all members of the men’s relay team that won Botswana her maiden medal at the world relays in Bahamas recently have been and continue to receive financial support from the BNOC,” he said.

He said also their courses continued to empower sport administrators and coaches to improve the development of sport in the country and in some cases, to become the envy of others in the region and beyond, as was the case with coaches Khumiso Ikgopoleng and Justice Dipeba.

Talking about government funding, he said the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development had announced its allocations to BNOC for the 2017/2018 financial year.

“For now, we only know the figure for operations, which when compared to the 2016/2017 grant is reduced by half a million pula. The same amount, has been availed to anti-doping activities.  Over the last two financial years we did not receive funding towards anti-doping,” he said.

The ministry he said was yet to announce the funding for games occurring this financial year or early in the 2011/19 financial year.

“Members would be aware that the Commonwealth Youth Games are taking place in July this year in Bahamas and the main Commonwealth Games in April next year in Gold Coast, Australia. Clearly the delay in both announcing the grant amount as well as the credit of the same is affecting our preparations for games and indeed our general operations,”he said. ENDS