Chess committee booted out
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday January 27, 2024 06:00
Only BCF clubs with paid up membership participated at the meeting. Mooketsi Segaise and his executive committee found themselves with their backs against the wall in a move that could see them leave mid way their term of office due to end next year. At the meeting, the clubs charged the executive committee with failure to address a number of concerns raised by the clubs. The committee was voted out of office in absentia. Meanwhile, an interim committee led by former BCF public relations director, Kutlwano Tatolo was appointed to steer the BCF ship until further notice. In a her acceptance speech, Tatolo said it was regrettable that the interim committee was taking up its new role under the current circumstances. “My team previously contested for election against the outgoing committee. At the time, we accepted the decision of the federation's members to elect as they did. We would have loved to have taken up our new role when the federation's status would have been intact but this," observed Tatolo. She said Botswana chess was in tatters and needs to be put back on track to its glory days.
Tatolo stated that the BCF bank account was likely to be empty, which could explain why chess has been inactive. She urged the new committee to hit the ground running as there was a lot of damage control that would have to be done to resuscitate chess. Chairing the meeting, Phemelo Kheto of Poisonous Snakes Chess Club said in the past questionable decisions were made in selecting the national team. He cited this as one of the reasons that gave rise to the decision to sack the substantive committee. He also cited failure by the outgoing committee to call an annual general meeting in 2022 as another anomaly. “Clubs have been patient," he said, citing the 2023 AGM, which he said was not properly organised.
He said after the AGM, the committee failed to implement some resolutions including setting up sub committees. Alex Mpuisang of Bonyonyo Chess Club said his concern was how the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture bought tickets for international players who participated in the Elite Besa Masaiti WIM Norm Chess Championship, adding that it remained unclear who authorised the decision within the committee. Mpuisang said as a result, some players dropped from the national team due to lack of funding, forcing parents in some instances to buy flight tickets for them.
He said it was shocking that a few months down the line, funds suddenly became available to buy tickets for international players. Meanwhile, the BCF members attending the Wednesday meeting voted to halt all activities of the federation as the interim committee starts the work of putting the BCF house in order. This includes suspending the national team selection that was initially scheduled for this weekend.