SPORT ASSOCIATIONS CLUELESS on return of school sports
In a recent announcement, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Tumiso Rakgare revealed that school sports will resume in the second term of the 2024 school calendar. School sports have been on hold for over 5 years and many have raised concerns about the decline in performance in different Botswana sports codes.
Speaking at the Vunani Botswana Women's Awards over the weekend, Minister Tumiso Rakgare announced that the government has the funds necessary to resume school sports in the second term of the 2024. He said the lack of funding had been a major challenge for the sports unions, but the funds are now available and will allow them to resume their activities and give students the opportunity to participate in sports again.
“We are thrilled to announce that, after a long struggle, we can finally return to school sport in the second term. The government has secured the necessary funding, so we can resume where we left off and continue developing sports at the school level. This is an important step for sports in Botswana, and we are excited to get started,” Rakgare said.
While Minister Rakgare did not share more details about the specifics of how school sport will resume, he did mention that the government has secured the necessary funds. Earlier this year, councils were instructed to prepare school playing grounds and purchase equipment for primary schools. He said that the government is making serious effort to invest in sports at the school level.
According to Oaitse Thipe, the President of the Botswana Tennis Association (BTA), the return of school sports will be a great development for the sport in Botswana. He believes it will complement the work that BTA and its affiliates are currently doing to develop sports.
He mentioned that they have coaches based in different clubs and across the country, running tennis programs daily, as well as monthly tournaments.
“We don't have all the details about how school sport will return, but I can tell you that some of our coaches are already based in different clubs. We have teachers in our team, and we believe that non-teachers will also be utilized when school sports resumes. We are excited about this development and what it means for the future of sports in Botswana,” Thipe said.
Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) Publicity Secretary, Tshegofatso Malepa said that even though BTTA has not been officially informed about the return of school sport, she is aware of the rumors and is optimistic about the benefits it will bring. She said by bringing back school sports, more young athletes will have the opportunity to participate in Table Tennis at an early age.
“This will help to identify and nurture talent from a young age, allowing the BTTA to groom and train promising players. With a focus on grassroots development, the association will continue to build a strong foundation for the sport and ensure a continuous pool of skilled players for the future,” she said.
Selebatso Keabetswe, Vice President Technical of Botswana School Sport Association (BOPSSA), said they heard about the return of school sports through public channels, they have never been consulted about the details. He also noted that teachers and unions were also not consulted regarding the matter.
"I am concerned that they haven't consulted us yet about the return of school sports, considering that we have less than a month until schools close. They have announced that school sports will be returning, but we don't have any details. It is a bit worrying that we are in the dark about such an important matter, "he said.