11 Jul 2017

Botswana National Sports Commission has been advised to become more visible and extend its services to hard to reach areas.

Ngamiland councillors voiced their views after a presentation on the mandate of the commission. They said there was need to visit settlements to identify and unearth young talent.

They said there was a lot of hidden talent in such areas which needed to be nurtured and developed, especially in athletics, and said they hoped the relevant officers could open an office in Gumare or Shakawe to cater for the Okavango sub-District.

Cllr Mpoke Karapo noted that Bayei, Basarwa and Bambukushu youth were sprinters and said they could perform if given the chance. He said a lot of talented people were left out and urged the commission to visit areas in the Okavango and preach sports messages.

“I have a strong believe that those people have what it takes to become runners and beat big giants in the sport,” he added.

Cllr Oabilwe Chombo shared the same sentiments, saying it seemed the commission concentrated on literate people, and emphasised that illiterate youth were also capable.

For his part, BNSC director, Mission Mereyotlhe appreciated the councillors comments, saying it showed how much they supported sport development.

“Your comments really showed that you want to see your district in the map hence promoting the national pride. Your concerns were inline with our roadmap as we want to see the districts assisting with facilities and forming district committees which could facilitate sports activities,” he added.

He said the district committee should come up with a strategy on how to reach athletes far from services.

For illiterate people, Mereyotlhe observed that they were catered for, adding that they had made an arrangement with BOCODOL to enroll and tutor such athletes so that they could match their counterparts.

He appealed to councillors to continue playing an active role in promoting and developing sports in their district.

He said their support would continue to enhance the good image of sport in the district and throughout the country.

Mereyotlhe observed that Ngamiland had proved to be wealthy in terms of talent in sports, adding that the region had been performing exceptionally well in Botswana Games which were held annually.

He noted that last year, team North West got position four with 11 gold medals all in athletics.

“This is the region where athletes who break the record come from, and I urge you to continue supporting them as we prepare for the coming Botswana Games scheduled for December in Gaborone,” he added.

Furthermore, he stated that the winners at the Botswana Games would represent the country at the African Union Sports Championship. Mereyotlhe explained that Botswana Games link with other major events such as Olympics Games, Commonwealth Games, World Champions and African Youth Games.

He also noted that district coaches were allowed to bring athletes from centres of excellence to participate in the Botswana Games. ENDS