27 Nov 2017

Two Batswana have been inducted into the Botswana Sports Hall of Fame.

The two class of 2017 recipients who have been enshrined in the annals of Botswana’s history are the late Welly Seboni and Freddy Modise.

This brings to 18 the total number of inductees in the glass of the Hall of Fame, which was introduced in by Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC).

The first induction was in 2014.

BNSC honours inductees for their undying contribution to the development of sport in the country with some being inducted posthumously.

They are selected through a national voting process.

Speaking at the induction ceremony on Thursday (November 23), Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Kefentse Mzwinila said it was commendable that sportspersons who had positively contributed in making sport in Botswanato be what it is today, were recognised and rewarded.

“As a country, we have to reminisce on the many years during which our sporting icons went out of their way to deliver towards sport development, national pride and unity amongst us,” he said.

“Their efforts did not only bear fruit to the sporting fraternity as a whole, but to our national development as a country,” he added.

He said Botswana Sports Hall of Fame would achieve little if it was perceived as a collection of memories, but should rather be something for the nation to celebrate.

Mzwinila further explained that the achievements of the past had been an inspiration to the future sport administration and development, adding that the country pride itself in excellent results that it had achieved at the international stage because of the foundation built by those who came before them.

He assured delegates that government supports all these initiatives and great sportsmanship by incentivising top achievers through the rewards and incentives policy.

Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC), Solly Reikeletseng said Botswana Sports Hall of Fame was an initiative used to acknowledge and celebrate sport legends and to preserve the rich sport heritage.

One of the inductee, the Seboni, also known as ‘Pitla Pitla’ in football circles, is considered one of the founding fathers of Gaborone United (GU) having joined the team as team manager in 1967.

He was also part of the GU executive committee that convinced the South African Breweries to sponsor the then Super League (Now Premier league) in Botswana, which GU went on to win for eight consecutive times.

During that period, GU gained the nickname ‘Money Machine’ as it won one competition after another.

It was that solid foundation that laid down by him and other founders that GU continued to play good football.

Prior to his GU days, Seboni had built a strong football team at Kgari Sechele Secondary School in Molepolole where he was a player coach.

It was there that he earned the nickname ‘Pitla Pitla’.

He also served as the team manager for the Zebras and managed the national football team in 1986 that played at the 20th country’s anniversary before joining politics and served as Mayor of Gaborone from 1969-1974.

Modise also known as ‘Dusty King’ was a star football player at St Josephs’ College during his school days.

He later joined Township Rollers Football Club in 1966 to eventually become the all-time goal scorer and the legend of the Blues.

In one of their matches, the Blues had to import him from the University of Makekere in Uganda just to face their bitter rivals GU on their derby game.

Modise and his peers were the first players to wear the Zebra kit in 1966 against Moroka Swallows during Botswana’s first independence.

Though they lost the game, he scored Botswana’s only goal and had also played in the old regional super league in 1976 and continued with the birth of the Premier League in 1978.

In 1978, he qualified with German ‘B’ Coaching licence under Benno Hartmann and later became Rollers player-coach for a short period due to work commitments.

Outside sports, Freddy served as secretary for financial affairs in the then Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and Commissioner General of BURS. BOPA