Youth Games should trigger paradigm shift

Mmegi Editor | Tuesday June 3, 2014 17:20

Propelled by a presidential target of 30 medals, the young sports girls and boys garnered a total of 34, including seven gold and an array of silver and bronze. From the organisation, to the attendances, the safety/security protocols and support, the event was a rip-roaring success. Corporate Botswana, government and ordinary Batswana came together to stage the country’s biggest sporting event and our young sportspeople – mostly in senior schools – did not disappoint with breath-taking displays of talent, determination and passion. As we bid our African brothers and sisters goodbye, as a nation we need to introspect on the lessons learnt from the Youth Games.

Logistics experts, even outside of sports, should take their cue from the organisation of the Youth Games, while the police, immigration, City Council and others all have their homework cut out for them. Critically, though, the greatest lesson that the Youth Games convey is the need for a cross-sectoral paradigm shift on the prioritisation of sporting codes in this country. For far too long, focus and effort, resources and support have predominantly been showered on football at its various levels, to the detriment of other sports codes, which in most instances are comparatively more successful. While football is undoubtedly the most widely supported code in terms of fans, it is our boxers, our athletes, our karatekas, our swimmers and others who have brought Botswana glory on the world stage.

Today, Botswana is known as the birthplace of track stars such as Amantle Montsho and Nigel Amos, boxers such as Oteng Oteng and Leslie Sekotswe, karatekas such as Andrew Dombolo and Khaya Groth as well as swimmers such as the fast-rising, Naomi Ruele. It is not that our football heroes are not deserving of corporate, government and fan support, but rather that resources need to be equitably distributed to other sporting codes to nurture more heroes. With the way resources and attention are currently skewed towards football, it will be no wonder when in five years’ time our non-football Youth Games’ heroes have given up their sporting dreams, demoralised by an indifferent society.

We need to nurture and encourage these young stars at this early stage and in this vein credit must be given to the long-suffering sports coaches and school heads for identifying and grooming this talent. Government and the National Olympics Committee also deserve credit for providing the stage on which the young stars showcased their talent, via the hosting of the Youth Games. The trajectory is correct and momentum has been built. Let us all carry their dreams forward.

                                                             Today’s thought

                         “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

 

                                                                              - Michael Jordan