Football development requires more funding

The chairperson of Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) Solly Reikeletseng believes more money should be injected into football developmental programmes.Speaking at the 2016 Youth League launch in Gaborone recently, Reikeletseng said BNSC   has invested a lot of money into football than any other sporting code.

“Out of all 42 sporting codes, we inject a lot of money into football, even though other sporting codes complain that they are winning competitions and they have robust development programmes”

Reikeletseng said a lump sum of money is spent on competitions instead of development.  “There is more money going into competitions, the football senior national team receives more money than any other programme we need to redefine ourselves and development is the way we need to be moving”Reikeletseng said development will ensure that when money is injected into the senior national team it will be into a well-built and developed team.

Moreover, Reikeletseng said local football teams should be rejuvenated and make room for development programmes. “A lot of teams in our league do not have the underage teams and that is not good for football,” Furthermore, Reikeletseng said that football is now losing its magic. “If you could look into the game played under lights on Monday (Township Rollers vs.

Police IX) the stadium was not even half full, if there are no spectators that means teams do not have money to run on a day to day basis.” However, Reikeletseng applauded Botswana Football Association (BFA) BFA President Maclean Letshiwiti whose presidential campaign included youth development issues.

“When the president took over he had a plan to change things. To many change is scary but inevitable, I applaud Letshwiti that his pronouncements are followed by action just three months into office.”