BNSC To Overhaul Elite Scholarship
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday January 24, 2022 16:00
The Elite Scholarship Fund is designed to assist high performing and talented young student-athletes in gaining access to quality tertiary sporting-excellence educational institutions whilst attaining success at the highest levels within their chosen sport. The programme is a unique partnership between talented young student-athletes, National Sport Associations, Ministry of Tertiary Education and the BNSC.
Speaking to Sport Monitor, BNSC chief executive officer (CEO), Tuelo Serufho said the reason it may seem that upon return, the athletes do not meaningfully contribute to sport is in part as a result of that on their professional side, there are not enough spaces or resources for them to be absorbed in sport. “In the end they work for non sport entities. While some of them would want to volunteer in administration positions, those are usually elected for and that is sometimes an impediment for the young professionals to gain access.
The majority of them would not have acquired coaching qualifications and that would be one limitation to them with respect to volunteering,” he said. Serufho also said they are currently looking at ways of ensuring that they could maximize benefits from the athletes upon return. Serufho said they want to see many of the beneficiaries turning professional.
Meanwhile, Serufho stated thatthey are happy that the programme continues to give excelling young Batswana the opportunity to further their education while at the same time participating in some of the best sport programmes in the world. “Remember the objective of the programme is to get the scholar athletes to sharpen their skills, so that they are presented with options of turning professional or pursing formal employment,” he said. The 2021 beneficiaries of the programme are Thato Madikwe and Kao Lenkopane from tennis. Lenkopane is studying Business Administration as a major and minoring in Economics. Madikwe has been admitted at Southwest Minnesota State University. She has been admitted to read for a Bachelor’s degree programme in Medical Laboratory Science.
Lebopo Mompe from cycling who will be studying Bachelor of Business and Commerce at Griffith College in Brisbane, Australia. Lone Busang and Atang Thabiso Nkoane from basketball. Busang is studying Exercise and Movement Science Bachelors Sciences at St. Francis College Brooklyn. Nkoane is attending University of San Francisco with focus on Computer Science, Bachelors of Sciences. They are both from basket ball.