02 Dec 2018

Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) and Botswana Football Association (BFA) are enjoying a cordial relationship since the incoming of the new BFA administration.

BISA national organiser, Thabiso Ramosweu said this on Friday at the official closing of a week-long youth coaching course for teachers in the northern region. 

The course, which took place in Francistown, was organised under the auspices of the football mother body FIFA in conjunction with BFA and was conducted by Kim Poulsen from Denmark. 

“We are grateful of the cordial relationship between BFA and BISA in the development of football in this country. In the past, we used to operate in isolation and this was not working for us,” stated Ramosweu. 

To teacher coaches, he urged them to implement what they had learnt and advised them that they not confine themselves to schools, but should rather extend their coaching services to benefit the community they lived within. 

BFA vice president, development, Odirile ‘China’ Mathaku said the new BFA administration had committed itself to a number of initiatives among them a proper pathway and development of football at the grassroots level. 

He said the BFA wanted to use school competitions to identify and nurture young talent in the quest to build a strong national youth team. 

Mathaku said that was the reason why the BFA emphasised on training coaches because the quality of players was dependent on good coaching. 

He also said the BFA wanted re-activation and an increase of schools of excellence from three to many across the country.

Poulsen thanked participants for showing interest and dedication in the course.

He said FIFA was interested in youth development. 

He urged participants to develop their career so that they become professionals. 

Francistown youth coordinator, Minkie Bokole said as teacher coaches, they were role models to pupils and should understand that they were grooming the nation. 

She said they should leave a legacy and continue to be men and women of sport by keeping fit. 

Bokole said their journey in coaching would never be easy and encouraged them to work hard. 

She explained that government through the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development intended to build more football facilities across the country. 

She appealed to participants to make use of district youth offices and to make their presence felt. ENDS