Sports volunteers deserve incentives

SVM to send representatives to Malawi AUSC games 30 BG SPORT

Volunteers contribute to many aspects and areas of sport development, and sport for development, including the social and economic aspect of sport. Without volunteers, many sports bodies would not be able to function effectively. The volunteers offer their time and skills willingly to sport community with no expectation of any monetary or material benefits. One of the most important roles that volunteers play in sport is supporting major events.

Realizing the significant role that volunteers play in sport, in 2000, the Botswana National Sport Commis

GU snatches

sion ( BNSC) formed The Botswana Sport Volunteers Movement ( SVM), as a sub- structure under it. The main

Cooper

purpose was to create a body responsible for coordinating sports volunteer activities in Botswana. The SVM is nationally coordinated by the SVM National Executive Committee, and has regional committees around the country, reporting to the National Executive Committee. Most voluntary sport organizations are said to be finding it difficult to retain volunteers of high caliber. As such, realizing this, in the year 2020, according to the SVM Secretary General, Mr. Moses Poloko, SVM together with its regional structures, came up with an incentive policy, the purpose of the policy being to suggest ways in which the movement could use to retain its high caliber volunteers, as well as developing and empowering the rest of the SVM volunteers database. Since 2000, according to Mr. Poloko, the movement has registered volunteers who have been and are lody Dube was the first Motswana to reach the finals of the Olympics. He achieved this at the 2000 Summer Olympics, which were held in Sydney, Australia. Glody was Botswana’s middle distance runner, who specialized in 800 metres.

willing to give their time, effort, and Mr. Poloko indicated that the two will

The Summer Olympic Games are a

resources to help sport grow. One of be mingling and learning from other

major international multi- sport event.

the incentives proposed by the policy is volunteers from the different Region 5

Competing in these games is almost every athlete’s dream and requires

finding volunteer opportunities locally, member states, as they perform differ

consistency in training and massive

regionally, amounts of and determination. at international The games level ent functions at the games. The games

are held once every four years.

for the volunteers. To deliver on this, will be held in Lilongwe, Malawi from

Through his achievements, Glody

according is an inspiration to Mr. Poloko, to upcoming SVM and will be 02- 11 December 2022. While volun

younger athletes. When he competed

sending two volunteers to Lilongwe, tary work is not done from a desire

at the Sydney 2000, Australia Summer

Malawi for the 10th edition of the for profit, it however does not mean

INSPIRATIONAL... Former 800m runner Glody Dube has inspired a generation

Olympic Games, he had just completed

African his Botswana Union Sports General Council Certificate ( of AUSC) that the volunteers do not need to be

Secondary Education ( BGCSE) at

Region 5 Youth Games. The two voltaken care of and enjoy the fruits of

Maun Senior Secondary School. He

unteers was under are Boikanyo the tutelage of Moepedi Coach Adam who is their selfless work. It is therefore com

Letham, who was also his mentor.

the Secretary General for SVM Maun mendable to see SVM and its partners

Other events that he has competed

Region, and Albert Mothusi Kenosi, providing opportunities like this, not

TAFIC

at include, the 1997 African Junior

the Secretary Championships, General 1998 Commonwealth for SVM Serowe only from the angle of incentives, but

Games, 1999 World Indoor Champi

Region. According to Mr. Poloko, SVM to also provide necessary exposure for

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onships, 1999 World Championships,

Regions 1999 All- were Africa requested Games, 2001 to World propose the volunteers in a way that grooms and

Indoor Championships, 2001 World

names and CVs, and the two were then empowers them to add value to sport

Championships, 2002 Commonwealth

selected Games, from 2003 the World pool Indoor of submissions. Champiat different levels.

onships, 2003 World Championships,

2004 Olympic Games and 2007 All

Executive Committee On 28 July 2022, the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth The team, which has an average age of 16, comprises of Games officially opened in Birmingham, England, with more 15 year old Woman Fide Master Naledi Marape, 15 year than 5,000 athletes from 72 countries competing across 280 old Woman Candidate Master Natalie Banda, 15 year old VOLUNTEER events. Botswana SPIRIT... has sent Sport a team Volunteers of 35 athletes Movement to represent Woman ( SVM) Candidate National Master Arona Moshoboro, 18 year old is working country, hard with to the support highest age sporting of an athlete events on the team across Ruth the Otisitswe country and 20 year old Woman Fide Master Besa being 47, from Bowling, and the lowest being Neo Phatsima Masaiti. The players earned themselves slots into the senior at 16. The Games will run until 08 August 2022. This year’s national team after different stages of qualifiers. At the 2022 games came with notable records for Botswana, through World Athletics Championships which were held in Oregon, Neo Phatsima, a Squash athlete, who was born on 15 March United States, from 15- 24 July 2022, gifted 19 year old 2006. Phatsima was amongst the multitudes that witnessed Letsile Tebogo also recorded historic moments for the counthe opening ceremony in Birmingham, registering herself try, not only by breaking records, but also by becoming the in the history books as the youngest athlete to represent youngest athlete to represent the country at the senior level of Botswana at the games, and one of the first squash female the athletics championship. Letsile and Collen Kebinatshipi athletes to compete at the level of the Commonwealth Games, ( 18), were also the youngest athletes from Botswana at the since Botswana’s first participation in 1974. The 16 year old is 22nd African Athletics Championships, which were held in representing the country in the women’s doubles and women’s Saint Pierre, Mauritius from 8 - 12 June 2022. These history singles of Squash, together with 17 year old Leungo Katse. makers fall within Generation Z, which is also called Gen Phatsima started playing squash at the age of 10 at Camp Z, described as the generational cohort following millenPrimary School in Gaborone and in 2016 she joined the nials, born between the late 1990s and early 2010s. Gen Z Botswana Squash Rackets Association athlete development will have enormous impact on the future of sport. Different program, which later led to her qualification for the games. organizations have put in place strategies like the Botswana Other young participants at the games include 14 year old Gender and Sport Strategy, the Botswana National Olympic Anahat Singh, who is the youngest participant of the Indian Committee Strategy, the Botswana National Sport Commiscontingent, also playing squash, and 14 year old diver, Charli sion vision 2028 and association level strategies in terms of Petrov of Australia. In another historic event, the Botswana long- term athlete development, which have embedded Gen Chess Federation Senior Women National Team is competZ. The most important and the biggest task is to ensure susing at the 44th Chess Olympiad, in Chennai, India, with the tainable and continuous investment in this cohort and the youngest team to ever compete at the level of the Olympiad. cohorts to come. Email: