BBA refreshes umpires
Botswana Badminton Association (BBA) has sent national court officials, Emmanuel Seokamo and Mmereki Nkgowe to start their assessment workshop in Uganda. The duo left for Kampala, Uganda this past weekend and will be indulged in the course from 16th to 29th October.
Speaking in an interview this week, Secretary General of BBA, Thuso Mudungo said the assessment is held every year, the accreditation is done by the Confederation Of Africa Badminton association to accredit the national umpires as certified continental umpires.
“This opportunity is awarded to those that officiate local tournaments and are certified by the Botswana Badminton Association, we have over 30 of them who are currently certified by the association.”
He added that the selected two umpires were assessed and selected by the association. “Depending on the resources, we took only two, we wanted to send at least four national umpires who attended the Road to Badminton Confederation of Africa Umpires Accreditation Course conducted last year, unfortunately, Sheba Sephonono and Keamogetse
Modise could not attend due to other commitments.”
The Road to Badminton Confederation of Africa Umpires Accreditation Course conducted last year was used to select the umpires for the ongoing course in Uganda.
Moreover, he said they will be resourceful to the association because they will now be able to host courses across national regions to increase the number of national umpires and grow local officiating.
“We are bound to improve in our officiating and playing, we can’t play and leave officiating behind; we have to create a balance between the two to influence growth in the sport,” he said.
Quizzed on the readiness of the umpires to participate in the course, he said they should do their best to pass and make way for others who also are determined to be continentally accredited. “We have motivated them and they have been doing crush courses and we have provided them with revision materials from Continental Federation and World Federation for them to pass.”
Should these two pass the course, they will join Gopolang Mekgwe and Gagothata Modigela as continental umpires. Emanuel Seakane and Gagothata Modigela are also qualified lined judges.