Funding woes hit Region 5 Games preparations
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday October 12, 2026 06:00
However, the elephant in the room is funding, with the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) yet to release funds for preparations. At the last edition, the country finished fourth with 18 gold, 16 silver, and 27 bronze medals.
Botswana will be represented in athletics, including athletics for the visually impaired and Special Olympics, basketball, boxing, football, judo, karate, netball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, and beach volleyball. However, some national sport associations (NSAs) have raised concerns over the limited resources, with others struggling to accommodate their teams.
Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) president, Oaitse Thipe came out strongly, describing the preparations as a ‘joke’. He said, for the first time, NSAs were expected to prepare for the games using their own funds.
“We are preparing using our funds that are not there. Our tennis team has been cut after we won a silver medal last year. The volleyball team has not been affected. This means we will not get a podium finish because we do not have reserves for team position,” Thipe said.
Meanwhile, volleyball Federation (BVF) vice president-technical, Shadrack Modiakgotla, said preparations were progressing despite funding challenges.
“We are working hard to utilise the resources we have. Both the girls and boys teams are currently training over the weekends, supported by two managers and four coaches, ensuring the athletes are ready,” he added.
The volleyball technical team comprises Bapoga Nshakazhongwe (boys’ team manager), Tiny Morupi (girls’ team manager), Kealeboga Alucious Mmekwane (boys’ head coach), Botsang Boitumelo (boys’ assistant coach), Kagiso Monnaesi (girls’ head coach), and Shirley Moleele (girls’ assistant coach).
“Whilst financial constraints remain a challenge, we are determined to represent Botswana with pride in Mozambique. BNSC funds the games, but they have not provided the funds as yet and have requested us to utilise the BVF grant for the time being. “We are hopeful that they will refund us,” Modiakgotla said.
Table Tennis president, Kudzanani Motswagole said preparations were on course, but funding remained a challenge, with the association relying on its grant. For his part, Boxing president Dirang Thipe said the team was in camp and had been joined by the Namibian team. As part of preparations, he said, a tournament would be held tomorrow (Saturday) at Otse Police College as a test event.
Asked about funding, Thipe said it was a difficult subject because associations were already operating under financial pressure and were now having to draw from their depleted Tier Two grants. He said boxing would send a team of eight athletes, comprising four boys and four girls.
Responding to the concerns raised by the NSAs, BNSC director of sport development Peaceful Seleka said it was surprising that some sporting codes were raising the issue in the media, as the funding situation had already been discussed.
“We had the opportunity to cut down the sport codes, but we chose not to because we agreed that they will tap from their development votes within the grants they get from BNSC. The mandate of the BNSC is to develop sport in Botswana, and it would be shocking for us to refuse funds that are supposed to advance sport,” Seleka said.
He added that the BNSC could not turn a blind eye to the fact that it was facing financial constraints.
“We all love sport, and we want to see it thrive, but where resources are not enough, we all have to take accountability. Your other responsibility should be asking them, besides government funding, what efforts do they put in place to create other avenues for resources?” he said.