KBL injects P1million on COPA tourney

Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) this week announced sponsorship to the tune of P1, 150 000 towards the popular Copa Coca Cola tournament which targets the under 15 and under 17 boys and girls from 207 local schools. The tournament is on its third year running in Botswana.

The competition, which is a partnership between KBL and Botswana Integrated School Association (BISA), is a national event that reaches young talent in the   far-flung areas of the country. Speaking at the tournament launch in Gaborone this week, the Coke brand marketing activations manager Tamar Mbalo said this year marked the 3rd year of the competition, which started in Zimbabwe back in 1989. Mbalo said the tournament has since become an asset in promoting grass root soccer in the country. She added that the Copa tournament, which is played in 61 countries across the world, was now in Botswana.

“We are proud to partner with BISA. We   hope and believe COPA will nurture talent in Botswana,” she said. Speaking during the same event Coke Operations and Marketing manager Moitshepi Sefako said they will participate in an international camp held   in France this year. This is a global initiative, we sat down deliberated and decided to send two boys to represent us at the international camp later this month. Sefako said the two players are Kabo Seshabo and Ryan Brown who recently did well and were voted among   the best players at a recent development tournament in South Africa.

For his part, the BISA president Joshua Gaothobogwe applauded KBL   for listening to their plea to include under 17 boys and girls in the competition. Gaothobogwe said there were challenges in the first year of the tournament but things gradually improved the following year. “More than 20 000 boys and girls take part, KBL   has a vision. The last two years saw the boys team going to play in South Africa where they shared life skills,” he said, adding that a number of players from   the tournament have already   entered the junior teams within the Botswana Football Association (BFA).

The BFA technical director Benny Kgomela said their development targeted   children between 5 and 19 years of age. “At primary school they play for fun, they are not restricted compared to Secondary where they play for competition.” Moreover, Kgomela said they could not reach the far ends of the country without the partnership between KBL and BISA. “Talent searching is not easy and we rely on teachers in various schools.”