PASSOBO mulls Para National Championship return
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday October 20, 2025 06:00
Team Botswana recently returned from New Delhi, India, with a single medal, a bronze and courtesy of T13 men’s 400m sprinter, Bose Mokgwathi.
The nine-member delegation, which included eight athletes and one guide, reached four finals in total, the best performance in the country’s history at the competition.
Now, the association wants to channel that international momentum into local development.
Speaking on Sport On, MmegiChannel’s flagship sports show, PASSOBO programmes officer Monty Ratlou confirmed that plans are underway to stage the championships in December this year.
“We have had a meeting with the Ministry (of Sports and Arts) at the start of the year, and they have committed to supporting the national championships. This has not happened for a long time, and maybe that is part of why we have seen a decline in athlete numbers and diversity in disabilities represented,” Ratlou said.
“With a national championship, our athletes have something to aim for locally, especially when there are no major regional and continental competitions on the calendar.”
Ratlou said the move is meant to reignite interest in para sports and grow the athlete base across different disciplines.
“We need to show people that there are sports for persons living with disabilities, and those interested in participating must know where to access facilities and opportunities,” he added.
PASSOBO, however, continues to grapple with uneven growth across sporting codes, with athletics currently dominating the scene. But that could change soon.
Ratlou revealed that the upcoming championships will see increased participation from para table tennis, para powerlifting, and swimming, whilst blind football is set to make its official debut.
Other potential inclusions on the competition roster are wheelchair basketball and wheelchair fencing, as PASSOBO seeks to expand the country’s footprint in para sports.