22 Jul 2020

A champion in women’s sport advocacy, Game Mothibi says the cancellation of many competitions due to COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected women’s sport.

In an interview, Mothibi said prior to the outbreak, women’s sport was getting attention and gender equality issues in sport were being discussed, but that had since  quietened down.

She said women’s softball was making headlines across the world, because they were expected to play at the Olympics for the first time since the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Also, Mothibi said Tokyo 2020 was to make history by becoming the first Olympics to reach gender equality at the games with an expected 48.8 per cent participation of women.

“The decision made a lot of needed noise, coupled with IOC changing their rules to encourage NOCs to make both male and female athletes flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the games,” she said.

Furthermore, she said the 2018 Women’s World Cup contributed a lot in reshaping gender equality discussions and interventions in sport, including the US soccer team’s court case of equal pay.

As such, she pleaded with sports leaders across the world to ensure that women’s sport was not neglected amid the pandemic.

She further said Botswana was well positioned to invest in women sport.

She said the fact that currently four women had qualified for the Olympics, and the first person to win a gold medal for Botswana at the World Championships was a woman, should speak volumes to sport leaders in the country.

Therefore, Mothibi said it was imperative that sport administrators in the country take advantage and grow women and sport.

“Like I always say, Batswana are longing for that victory.

They cannot wait anymore to see Botswana back in the sport world map,” she said. ENDS