MYSC clarifies the P650k Zebras incentive
Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development ( MYSC) has explained the recent P650k incentive which was offered to the Zebras senior national team prior to their game against Zimbabwe, to qualify for AFCON 2022 finals in Cameroon.
In the wake of the day that Botswana was playing Zimbabwe, minister of sports Tumiso Rakgare offered a mouthwatering incentive to the team, which came as a surprise to both the nation and the sporting fraternity. While the news were received with mixed feelings, the ministry rubber stamped the news with a press statement detailing that the incentive was a motivation to the team to do better ahead of the crucial qualifiers. Even though the Zebras forfeited the incentive since they didn’t qualify, the matter has since rubbed many sports leaders the wrong way. In an interview with BG Sport this week, Permanent Secretary at MYSC, Kago Ramokate explained that the funds offered to the Zebras were budgeted for.
“The budget has been said to be tight but because we didn’t have many sporting events last year we were able to offer this kind of incentive since there were funds available,” he said. Although there is fear that the gesture might annoy other sports codes and might spread seeds of discord amongst national sports association, Ramokate holds a different opinion.
“I don’t think this will bring any seeds of discord, incentives are there in sports as a way to motivate players. All sporting codes will continue to receive attention from us and incentives depending on what we can afford and offer.
The intention is to motivate and reward athletes, not to say other sporting codes are better than others but we shouldn’t forget that competitions across board are graded differently, “said Ramokate.
Ramokate further said since the Zebras did not qualify they won’t get anything from the money but their normal national team dues.