No money, more problems ...as the wrestling bemoans meagre BNSC funding

As National Sport Associations (NSA) scramble for a big share of the annual budget pie, there are those who get even smaller shares while others get big chunks from the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC).

Unfortunately, for those at the bottom of the food chain, their shares will be relatively small, the Botswana Wrestling and Rope Skipping Association has been at the receiving end, their President DMoagi Sharp, this week decried over the issue, citing that the money given to them is peanuts.

Moagi did not mince his words as believes the P50 000 allocated to them was not enough, “we can not do anything with this money because our calendar events is filled up, the money is enough for just two activities.”

He added that although they have been given peanuts, they will host their first Professional Wrestling event in Lobatse on the 16th of this month, 'we will organize it without the assistance of BNSC because that P50 000 to us is not money, we are not happy to have been given that little amount,” he stressed.

Moreover, there has been talk that Sharp has overstayed at the association; responding to this he said that some of the juniors at BNSC do not understand how sport works.

“Firstly, I am volunteering and I am the one who started this sport, I can’t start a sporting code and dump the project; I am supposed to develop officials, referees and coaches. What I have started I am currently building and once I am done, I will hand over.”

He said their criticism is baseless and uninformed because their constitution allows for the president to be elected for at least six years and it is aligned with the constitution of United Wrestling.

“The affiliates are happy with what I have done, those who are making this issue big are junior officers, but we recently had a meeting and I believe now they understand.”

He said sport across the country needs continuity and sport leaders should be given a chance to develop associations before they can hand them over to other capable officials.