25 Aug 2026

A  decades-long vision for district-level sport development became a reality last Friday with the official opening of the Moshupa stadium to give hundreds of local athletes access to first-class facilities built to launch the next generation of stars. 

By bridging the gap between national strategy and local access, the new stadium turns policy vision into tangible reality and will equip athletes with the high-quality resources they need to thrive and compete.

Speaking at the official opening of the facility in Moshupa, Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng said the stadium would ensure that talent was nurtured right where it belonged, within the heart of the community and beyond. 

Kelebeng emphasised that its completion marked a significant milestone and closed the gap in district-level grassroots development programmes.

He explained that the community stadium development programme represented the ministry’s targeted framework for delivering quality sport and recreation infrastructure to broaden public access to first-class sporting grounds nationwide.

“It is a sanctuary where children can play safely, grow strong and learn the lifelong values of sport and teamwork,” he said.

He underscored government’s strategic intent to provide safe, competitive and conducive playing fields across the country.

The minister indicated that the initiative traced its roots back to the Seepapitso Government White Paper No. 4 of 2002, specifically recommendation 3.25(b), which championed community-based sporting facilities to boost participation at the school and local level. 

He added that it was further anchored in Priority Area Three of the 2001 National Sport and Recreation Policy, which called for the nationwide development and improvement of facilities.

Meanwhile, the strong demand the venue had already drawn from local clubs and residents highlighted just how vital the development was, setting a powerful foundation for its full utilisation. However, the minister coupled the celebration with a call for long-term stewardship.

“It is important to note that building a facility of this quality is a great achievement, but the true test of our leadership is how well we will preserve it. Too often, public infrastructure falls victim to a ‘build and neglect’ culture, where lack of care or a lapse in upkeep leads to rapid decline of facilities, cutting off access and undermining government’s efforts to support talent development,” he added.

Thus, he urged every stakeholder to prioritise ongoing maintenance and avoid negligence.

The newly minted facility boasts a FIFA-standard artificial football pitch fit for elite league matches, multi-sport playing courts, a gravel athletics track, team dressing rooms, kiosks, public ablution blocks and a covered steel-structure mini-grandstand with a seating capacity of 306.

Providing a breakdown of the project details, deputy council secretary, Douglas Sesimanyana stated that the stadium was developed at a cost of P17, 935, 485.60. 

Located in Sedudu ward, the facility sits on 20 hectares of land.

For her part, Abaleng Lesego of the Botswana Basketball Association (BBA), representing National Sport Affiliates, pledged that four key sporting bodies  would work together to leverage the new facility, promote grassroots initiatives and significantly advance youth sport development across the region. ends