Potongwane-led committee retains power
Calistus Kolantsho | Wednesday March 5, 2025 10:04
The committee, led by President Kagiso Potongwane, was unopposed with only one fresh face of Leutlwetse Kgosidialwa as an additional member. The vice president is Emmanuel Mmusetsi while Game Mompe continues to serve as the secretary general. Mompe was recently voted as a member of Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) management committee. Three positions remain vacant, treasurer, public relations officer and another additional member. Speaking to SportMonitor, Potongwane said being given another shot to lead cycling is a big responsibility because it means that there is trust in him, therefore there is a lot of responsibility and expectation on him to deliver. “Key to my new mandate is to deliver a strategy that will guide planning for the federation by April 2025, and also to deliver on the key objectives of that strategy at the end of my term. Affiliates have also called on me to focus on grassroots development, so we need to come up with initiatives that will drive this as a key priority, so I am expected to deliver on this at the end of the new term,” he said.
When asked if he is under pressure in leading the association, Potongwane said there is no pressure per se but definitely there is need for him to make a difference. “I have raised my hand to make a difference particularly to the young athletes, because our decisions and actions can make a difference and that is also a motivation. There are many challenges, but I am determined to work hard with those around me to make a difference,” he said. Potongwane said they would like to see cycling being celebrated one day, and that they can only realise that dream if they put in some work to contribute to the process of success. He said there is nothing to regret because they have been in the office for two years and in the process they managed to achieve some significant milestones.
He added that the intention is to carry on with that momentum into the new term. Meanwhile, despite the four positions being unopposed, during the first term there were some concerns raised by cyclists regarding the selection of the national team and the allocation of the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) scholarships. Speaking to SportMonitor, Potongwane said they have never received or dealt with any official complaints regarding team selection from the affiliate clubs. “We have only dealt with one query on the elite scholarship, which we have since responded to. We have only seen an article in the media, the riders mentioned in the article nor their clubs never approached us to address such complaints. We also deal with clubs and not directly with individuals riders, and we become concerned when riders make such accusations individually, and not through their clubs who are affiliates,” Potongwane said.