Northern zone netball on its knees

BG correspondent

NETBALL
Some netball clubs affiliated to Botswana Netball Association (BONA) Northern Zone League are failing to meet their sporting obligations due to lack of sponsorship, BG Sport can reveal.
The clubs are now contemplating pulling out of the league as financial backing is drying up in the region.

Almost two clubs have not been part of the ongoing Spar Good For You league after pulling out citing lack of sponsorship. BOASA Netball Club has pulled out after Botswana Prisons Services (BPS) withdrew its sponsorship citing recession.

Selibe-Phikwe based Continental Aces had hinted on a return during the ongoing second round after failing to honour even a single match in the first stanza of the league. Some clubs have been failing to honour all of their games leading to a rescheduling of the games while other teams have seen 25 goals and three points being forfeited.

At a closed introspection meeting held at Mahube Primary School in Francistown, all the clubs affiliated to the northern stream sung the same song of lack of sponsorship. Sowa Flamingoes Netball Club based at Sowa is said to have publicly announced its intention to withdraw from the league.

BG Sport is reliably informed that the leadership of the BONA Northern Zone League has resorted to forfeiting goals and points against the clubs that fail to honour games as a desperate measure to encourage clubs, though in a harsh way, to attend matches. 

However, BONA Northern Zone League Committee chairperson Kene Tjikwakwa defended the action as being in accordance  with the constitution.