02 Mar 2026

Former Botswana Netball Association (BONA) and Netball Africa president, Tebogo Lebotse-Sebego has shared with the netball community how she managed to break the glass ceiling and ultimately bringing the Netball World Youth Championships in Botswana (NWYC2017) in 2017.

Speaking at the BONA Netball Pitso on February 28, she said she left her newly born daughter when she was just 10 days old to defend Botswana’s bid in Scotland.

Botswana was later awarded rights to host the youth championships.

Lebotse-Sebego said winning the bid was not rosy, as a lot of work was put in place.

In 2015, she said they attended the Sydney Netball World Cup Observers Program at the insistence of World Netball as future hosts, adding that they learnt invaluable lessons.

One of the key takeaways from Netball Australia was respecting the chain of command.

“To succeed, we respected the chain of command. In simple terms, Thulie Retshabile and Liz Broomhead owned the field of play, and even though I was the President then, they could kick me out of their meetings and I did not have access to the netball court during the games,” she said.

She further said they saw how the Australians attended the games in large numbers, adding that to deliver a successful tournament, they became intentional to bring Batswana close to the event.

“We targeted students, children and families. We wanted #ReABaTsaa to be chanted from the mouths of babies and to date, children who were in pre-school then still remember the day #Naletsana visited their school,” she said.

Current BONA president, Mpopi Moatlhodi said netball in Botswana had a proud and inspiring history, from grassroots development to national teams competing on regional and international stages.

“We have witnessed the power of dedication, teamwork and resilience. These achievements are the result of tireless efforts and commitment from administrators, coaches, volunteers and players who continue to grow the game despite challenges,” she said.

Moatlhodi said the Pitso provided them with an important opportunity to reflect on their journey, to celebrate progress and to confront their challenges with honesty and courage.

Furthermore, she said it also allowed them to collectively shape the future of netball in Botswana by strengthening governance, enhancing development pathways, improving competitiveness and ensuring sustainability at all levels of the sport.

A Pitso, by its very nature, she said, was a platform for open dialogue, adding it was a place where voices were heard, ideas were exchanged and direction shaped collectively.

She said the Pitso was not a platform for personal attacks or settling individual differences.

Moatlhodi said while they may hold different views, they must always engage one another with respect and professionalism.

The Pitso, she said, was not a space for division, factionalism, or blame fixing, adding that netball was bigger than any one individual, club or zone.

“Our responsibility is to the sport and to the athletes who depend on us for leadership and direction. This Pitso is not about reopening past conflicts without purpose. We acknowledge our history, but we are here to focus on solutions and the way forward,” she said. ENDS