BNOC, BNSC deal speaks volumes
Perhaps one of the most striking elements of the recent MoU between the Botswana National Sports Commission ( BNSC) and the Botswana National Olympic Committee ( BNOC) is the five- year period the relationship is expected to run.
Recently some sports industry insiders predicted that there will be a merging of the two sports authorities in the country. However, the parties have decided to take a longer route that will see them collaborating for just five years after which they are likely to return to the drawing board and renegotiate.
From a perspective of individuals who have been observing Botswana sports for decades this five- years period speaks volumes. For a large industry like sport that benefits from massive government funding, five years sound like an awfully short period of time.
The connotations that can be drawn from the partnership seems like one of the parties could jump ship should the situation not favour them. Usually is such instances there is a hidden exits clause just for convenience.
In the past years, the two organisations have been at each other’s throats mainly due to the battle for the control of elite athletes and scarce financial resources.
The eco system of Botswana sports was rather simple as the BNSC went out and scouted sports talent in the far flung parts of the country and they managed to do this through programmes like ‘ Re ba Bona ha’ through some of their affiliates such as Botswana Integrated Sports Association ( BISA) and Botswana School Sports Association ( BSSA) and many others.
Through such structure the BNSC would groom athletes and eventually grow attached until some of the sports boys and girls became good enough to compete at international stages. This is when the BNOC would come in and things started to get interesting as the committee would prepare talent for elite competition while the BNSC was still linked to such athletes. This mostly happens where Botswana excels such as boxing and athletics.
The rift between the two organisations did not only end there as they would often bicker and quarrel over who gets the better portion of the government grant especially when elite competitions like the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games were on the horizon.
Perhaps the most intriguing development ahead of the historic MoU signing is the secondment of BNOC CEO Tuelo Serufho to the BNSC as Acting CEO. Serufho will be an integral part in the new sport arrangement in the country. He will be expected to guide and navigate the partnership especially in the volatile early stages.
The timing of the agreement is expected to see Botswana through both the 2021 and the 2024 Olympics.
Meanwhile, local sports fans and stakeholders will be holding their breath to see how the two contrasting management styles will align, with the BNOC coming with a strict, conservative governance system guided by long history of the Olympic movement while the BNSC is run through the traditional government bureaucracy. “This MOU shall become effective upon signature by the authorized officials from the BNSC and BNOC and will remain in effect for 5years or until terminated through mutual agreement by both partners,” reads part of the MoU document.