11 Dec 2019

Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Tumiso Rakgare has called on all sport bodies to be vigilant of money laundering schemes parading as sponsors.

Rakgare said this at the official opening the 6th edition of Botswana Games at the University of Botswana Sports Arena on December 9.

He pointed out that Botswana like other countries, should guard against fraudsters and money launders, as they had now realised that it was easy for them to make shady and illicit dealing through disguising as sponsors.

As such, he called on Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) to be on the lookout for such deceitful characters so that they did not fall victims adding that they should also be active participants in the fight against money laundering.

Rakgare cautioned those who wished to sponsor to know that the time for sponsoring sport with peanuts and getting free publicity had come to an end.

Meanwhile, Rakgare had pleaded with athletes to desist from using performance enhancing substances as that  would reverse the gains that they had made adding that they should instead use the games as a spring board for more rewarding careers.

He urged those who were dealing with athletes to come up with monitoring tools to track their progress until they graduate them to elite sport.

He pointed out that the games had been held bi-annually for the past 12 years and the country had managed to host other world class games such as Africa Youth Games, Region 5 Games in 2018, COSSASA and CUCSA Games amongst others.

“It is through these games that world class athletes are discovered as they have already produced the likes of Leungo Scotch, who is a 400m runner of note, Kaone Van Der Westhuizen, who plays for Township Rollers and Galefele Moroko, who is a sprinter of repute.

Therefore, Rakgare said the Botswana Games were an important bench marking tool for neighboring countries because they had now started doing the same as well.

“One of my future goals is for us to be a destination of choice for conferences and sporting activities by improving facilities and finances.”

He said it was for that reason that government had committed some funds to building some sport facilities in various districts across the country. ENDS