Bantsi vows to restore BAA credibility

Mosah Mokganedi | Wednesday April 2, 2014 11:14

 

He said it is a big shame that BAA has lost credibility and trust from international bodies. Bantsi replaced the man who ousted him, Mooketsi Thari at the helm of BAA. “There is need to bring stability at the organisation,” he told Mmegi Sport.

He stated that BAA lost a lot due to internal instability. After Botswana hosted the Africa Junior Athletics Championships in 2011, the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) was supposed to build a High Performance Centre in the country as a benefit.

However, this did not happen as the CAA opted for Zambia.

There has been a lot of squabbling at BAA that at one time saw Bantsi getting the boot through a motion of no confidence in 2011. After he bounced back, he said he learnt something from that experience which will help him lead the organisation better.

He could not figure out why affiliates always resort to passing a motion of no confidence when they feel things are not being done properly.  “Some people think the problem could be with the constitution,” he said.

He stated that in some instances, affiliates are quick to pass judgment without interrogating issues. “We are not saying that if the committee is not doing things right, they should not be told,” he said.

He said BAA’s integrity has been eroded and it will take years to restore confidence. Bantsi said the committee will prioritise the building BAA offices.

He said since the organisation already has a plot, they would embark on sourcing funds to develop it. The BAA committee meets today to draw its roadmap.