John Mackenzie excels against odds
Whilst public schools remain devoid of sporting activities, it is business as usual for private institutions. Recently, private schools gathered at the Lobatse Sport Complex for the Independent Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSSA) track and field national championships.
The event drew ISSSA members from Kanye, Gaborone, Francistown and Palapye. The competition was divided into Under-14, Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 cater to for all athletes within the school system.
Participating schools included John Mackenzie School from Francistown. With 18 schools divided into Groups A and B, promotion and relegation were enforced.
In group B, John Mackenzie won in their category, followed by Gaborone-based Westwood International School and Regent Hill International School. This win elevated John Mackenzie School to Group A.
Another Francistown-based institution, Mophato Private School, secured victory in Group A, with Maruapula coming in second and Livingstone Kolobeng College finishing third. The bottom team in Group A, Gaborone International School (GIS) lost their spot and
will compete in Group B next season.
Francis Bhan, coach of John Mackenzie, informed MmegiSport that despite the promotion to Group A, they face challenges.
“As you know, we are located in Francistown and just like everyone there, we were affected by the closure
of the mine. When the mine closed, some people left the town, and our sponsorship drive was also affected. We started preparing for the ISSSA championships in January and also participated in athletics competitions with other private schools in Francistown, held at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium,” Bhan noted.
He stressed the significance of sport in public schools, highlighting its impact on the quality of athletes produced.
He said athletes from public schools used to give stiff competition to those from private institutions, shaping them into better performers. Bhan said overcoming competition from Gaborone-based schools during the ISSSA national championships was deemed a significant achievement given the multitude of schools in the capital.
“In Gaborone, they can have lots of competitions before heading to the national championships. In Francistown, it is different because only a few schools participate, although we also work with Kgaswe from Palapye and Morule from Selebi-Phikwe. I give all the credit to teachers and parents for their support during preparations and even during the competition,” he said.