Botswana sings the blues in Malawi
The absence of school sport has been cited as the reason for Botswana’s abysmal performance at the ongoing AUSC Region 5 Games in Lilongwe, Malawi. The Under-20 athletes from various sporting codes have found the going tough and were anchoring the medals table at press time. However, athletics provided the bright spark yesterday afternoon when the boys’ 4x400m relay scooped the country’s first gold medal. Botswana is represented in football, netball, tennis, volleyball, PASSOBO, athletics, boxing and swimming. Botswana sent 140 athletes to Malawi, a reduction from the 239 that travelled to Lesotho for the previous edition.
Most critics attribute the poor showing to the absence of school sport. School sport was suspended because the ministry owed teachers P32 million for their participation in the 2019 events.
A Task Force was set up to establish what went wrong and what could be done to monitor and control school sport. The Task Force handed over their report to government in 2020.
However, there are mixed views on the performance of the team. A senior lecturer in the Department of Sport Science at the University of Botswana, Dr Tshepang Tshube said school sport should be brought back. He said research and other sources indicate that talent development and selection works better in schools than any other platforms. Regarding the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) grassroots development programme (Re Ba Bona Ha), Tshube said that is a series of events not a real talent development programme.
The Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) president, Oaitse Thipe feels poor results from Malawi are because of lack of school sport.
“We need a comprehensive development sport structures at clubs, schools, community and National Sport Associations (NSAs). So we do not only need school sport. What happens to kids during school holidays? This is where NSAs need more funding for national training camps. We need more strong competitions at school level, club and national level. We need more coaches and education programmes,” he said.
According to WhatsApp discussion of some imminent sports administrators seen by Mmegi Sport, there are calls that the government should finance and assist to revamp a new strategy for school sport, involving all stakeholders in the process.
“We do not have facilities as schools but our improvisation from way back has proved to be a force to reckon with. Our athletes go through a rigorous process of training, mentorship and care, from school to national finals. For us to bring out an athlete worthy of competition at a level similar to the current games, in fact the current gamers are even lower level compared to the ones we have taken athletes to in the past,” one participant said. There are concerns that the longer the government delays the return of school sport, the closer athletes will get to complete nonparticipation in sanctioned games, regionally, continentally and World.
“We need a sport development strategy through school sport, financed, monitored and motivated by government,” another participant opined. School sport is normally used to select athletes for the Region 5 Games.
Meanwhile, the Botswana chef de mission, Shadrack Kapeko said the team is in good condition despite not so good results at the beginning of the competition.
“This is the early stage to say the results are bad. We still have a chance to redeem ourselves,” he said.
All eyes are on athletics team that started competing yesterday. Mark Nawa of tennis was playing the semi finals against Malawi followed by the boys and girls doubles quarterfinals. Gift Thipe and Kapinga Otisitswe competed in the boxing finals. Volleyball, netball and football (girls) were also in action.