22 Jul 2024

 Maun Heroes Netball Club was crowned the champions of a one-day tournament held at Tshwaragano Junior Secondary School in Maun over the weekend.

Organised by Setshwarwa Ke Ntsa Pedi Association (SKPA), the tournament, which was meant to promote HIV prevention services using sport, attracted four netball teams namely, Maun Heroes, Dynamic, Lekawa and Wild Cats. 

Maun Heroes walloped Wild Cats 96-7 in the final to clinch position one, a trophy and gold medals, Wild Cats walked away with silver medals while Dynamic club settled for position three and were awarded bronze medals after beating Lekawa 24-6. 

In an interview, tournament organiser,  Gaolaolwe Mopolo from SKPA  thanked the teams that participated in an educational sport activity noting that the purpose of the tournament had been achieved as they targeted both adolescent girls and young women aged between 15 and 24 and appreciated that they came in large numbers. 

“We are pleased to announce that the target group came in droves to access testing for HIV and enjoyed other availed services at the tournament,” he added. 

Mopolo also acknowledged sponsors, Rivoliyer Holdings, ACHAP and all stakeholders who contributed toward the success of the event, saying their collaboration was key in growing and developing sport activities in the district. 

He also appreciated Maun Heroes marketing and public relations officer, Mokeresete Mokeresete, for playing a critical role in supporting the association to organise the event. 

For his part, Mokeresete thanked the organisers saying it was an achievement in the growth of the netball sport in the district, indicating that as a club, they intended to attract more interest in the sport. 

He said there was a lot of talent in the region, noting that it was noticed during the tournament but players lacked skills, something he said they were willing to assist on and build strong teams that could represent the district in competitive events. 

Currently, he said Maun Heroes was the only club affiliated to the Botswana Netball Association in the North West region noting that, ‘we want to see more teams coming forth and take the sport to greater heights.’

Mokeresete thanked the SKPA for engaging them saying they were looking for more collaborations going forward to contribute toward the growth of sport in the region, which he said had a lot of benefits particularly for the young people. He also urged youth to participate in sports activities as it could also help them to refrain from social ills. Meanwhile, the SKPA, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that focuses on addressing the challenges faced by children and the youth in Botswana, was formed in 2017 to focus on addressing the challenges faced by children and the youth in Botswana. 

The association was founded by a group of young people who were concerned about the challenges faced by fellow young people and wanted to assist government in promoting discipline and upholding of moral values and ensure a prosperous and self-reliant society. ENDS