BFA still to decide on P2.43m windfall
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday November 6, 2021 09:05
The sponsorship will be channelled to the women's leagues and grassroots programmes. The three-year deal that will be in place at the start of the 2022-2023 season ends a nine-year-long financial drought, with the last league sponsorship coming way back in 2013. The Botswana Football Association (BFA) has, however, said the decision on the league prize money and team grants is yet to be made.
"Our intention is to first and foremost encourage balanced competitions and inclusive building of our women's football foundation. We want to create a platform where women and girls are given equal opportunities to showcase their talent and enjoy football in a safe and supportive environment. This does not mean there will be no incentives for best performing teams. We will complete the breakdown in due course with emphasis on empowering teams playing women's football without neglecting the spirit of competitive sport," the BFA chief executive officer, Goabaone Taylor told Mmegi Sport. The women's leagues are played at regional level as part of a strategy to structure a national league, for the first time since the Super League was dissolved in 2016. To determine a national champion, regional champions are to play national championship playoffs.
Taylor said the 2021-2022 season will kick off in early December in some regions while for others, it will be in January as the registration period ends today. She further said of the 17 regions in the BFA structures, 11 will participate in the upcoming season as part of the preparation ahead of the football season.
"We are currently playing women's football at regional level and this remains a cornerstone of driving our development plans. It is in line with our strategy to develop the full potential of women's football and ensure mass participation and also serve as a precursor to elite competitions. The intention is to have at least 11 regions partaking in the 2021-2022 season and be able to grow this number over time," Taylor said.