13 Sep 2018

 Most countries recognise sports as a Gross Domestic Product contributor to their economies.

The Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Thapelo Olopeng, made the statement  when officiating at the Region 5 Youth Games breakfast meeting in Gaborone September 13.

Partnership between government and the private sector would come handy in pursuit of opportunities offered by sport, he said.

In addition, Olopeng said government was  looking at ways of ensuring that sponsors benefitted from sponsoring sporting events.

He said his ministry had committed P28.7million towards the games, atlhough the budget was P12 million less.

“This budget is P12million less than the original amount of P38 million, which we expected to spend on the games. I therefore call on the private sector to help sponsor these games to augment our budget,” he said.

He said the games would attract the best Under 20 athletes from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe with guests’ participants from Tanzania only in men football.

He said, as a member of the Africa Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5, Botswana had signed the protocol agreements for hosting the games, hence appointment of a capable local organizing committee to deliver the games.

Olopeng said the main objective of the AUSC Region 5 Games was to promote peace, unity and integration in the SADC region, while encouraging people to come together, irrespective of colour, economic status, political class, or gender.

“The games are a platform for high performance of our young athletes and most importantly, a development strategy for the establishment of infrastructure in member countries,” he said 

Local organizing committee chairperson, Labbeaus Peloewetse, said over 1000 teenage athletes would gather in Gaborone to compete in the games.

He said the games would not be possible without the support from corporate sponsors, adding that to organise the games.

He said the games were all about excelling and  enjoyment and therefore  LOC would use the games as a catalyst for sport infrastructure improvement.

Meanwhile, some corporate and government entities amongst them Mascom Wireless, Nashua, Fairground Holdings, Limkokwing University of Creative Arts, University of Botswana, Executive Catering, Botswana National Youth Council, Botswana National Sport Commission, Botswana National Olympic Committee, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Ministry of Basic Education, Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, ally Clothing, JB Sports, showed commitment in supporting the games. ENDS