19 Jun 2017

The Assistant Minister of Youth Empower, Sport and Culture Development  Kefentse Mzwinila has encouraged young people in the North West region to make use of the recently introduced athletics code in the constituency tournament.

The Ngamiland region, he said was well known for its ‘rich talent’ in athletics as it has produced world international athletes.

He noted that the registration exercise for athletics constituency tournament was ongoing and expected to end June 30.

Mzwinila said this when addressing a Youth Pitso for the North West region in Maun.

He said constituency tournament existing codes as football were a success as they had produced players who were absorbed by bigger teams.

Mwinila said the netball and volleyball codes also did well and therefore athletics was anticipated to be a success as well.

A youth representative Mpho Lekweni appreciated the tournament as it helped young people refrain from social ill.

However, Lekweni said there was need for the regional competitions organisers to engage experienced sports officials with knowledge especially on codes such as volley ball wjhose rules were not that known .

Lekweni also said the prize money needed to be reviewed as it was not enough to meet their needs.

Further, Lekweni said North West youth desired that the ministry introduced male netball and female soccer to the constituency tournament as well as horse riding.

With world Softball Day 2017, the World Baseball Softball Confederation he said would continue building baseball/softball’s position as one of the leading and most inclusive, gender-balanced global sport.

World Softball he said was celebrated in countries and cultures across the world as one of the most culturally diverse, adaptable and important sport for providing women and youth with pathways and opportunities to participate in sport.

For his part, sports development officer for Botswana National Sports Council, Tebogo Johannes said the objective of World Softball day was to increase awareness and improve mass participation in Softball.

Johannes said the day was also intended to celebrate achievement of softball and celebrate re-admittance of softball sport in to the Olympic programme.

A Japanese Sofball expert he said had been engaged to impart skills amongst local players noting that Japan was one of the high ranking teams in both men and women. 

The expert, Aiko Nakamura who has been in Botswana for six months said it was important to start training players from the level of primary and junior schools to equip them with basic skills.  she has been in the country for the past six months. ENDS