BNOC is broke – Tshenyego

Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) has no money to have preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in full swing. The government is yet to release funds for preparations.

The Commonwealth Games will be held from July 28 to August 8. Speaking during a media briefing this week, BNOC president, Botsang Tshenyego said preparations were slower than expected.

“Preparations are ongoing not as good as we thought basically due to lack of funding. The preparations rely on government funding and that funding has not come through up until now. Obviously, we know that government is under a lot of constraints ever since the outbreak of COVID-19. We are optimistic that in the next few weeks we should be able to tell you something about the budget,” he said. Tshenyego said lost time means the loss of momentum of the games and the value the days could have created in terms of readiness.

He said they believe the funding would come soon, and in the meantime, National Sport Associations (NSA) are carrying out preparations through their own budgets. Tshenyego said at the moment, they have assisted a weightlifter, Kgotla Kgaswane who has already qualified for the Commonwealth Games and they also assisting table tennis to qualify.

There are 26 slots across seven codes being athletics, boxing, squash, weightlifting, judo, cycling and swimming. Meanwhile, Tshenyego said Nijel Amos’ issue over the athlete’s omission from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Solidarity Scholarship has not been resolved. Olympic Solidarity is one of the International Olympic Committee’s commissions. Its job is to organise the assistance the IOC gives to the National Olympic Committees to help them develop sports in their respective countries. Tshenyego said they are working with other structures and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC) to resolve the matter. “The matter should be resolved to the satisfaction of the athlete. We take athletes’ welfare seriously. Amos is a critical role player and a prospect for medals at the upcoming international games. We would give him a solution that would address him and other athletes who were not covered under the scholarship,” he said. Tshenyego said they had limitations in terms of funding and the number of athletes it could cover. He explained that the scholarship is meant to assist coaches and underprivileged athletes to prepare for the games.

“The technical preparations have to do with needy athletes, that is the principle on which the Olympic Solidarity scholarship operates. They do not expect professional athletes to apply for the scholarship. I am not saying Amos did not deserve it; he deserved it and many other athletes. All I can say is that we are workgramme ing on a programme that is not Olympic Solidarity to cover Amos and the rest of the athletes,” Tshenyego said.