Financial woes stop Diphatsa women side

Shingirai Madondo | Friday August 29, 2014 15:44

The side has not been performing well in the Mascom Volleyball League after losing last seasons’ outstanding player, Chada Majaha to fellow military team, BVF VI.

Diphatsa women showed signs of recovery by things took a turn for the worse when the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) announced it was cutting funding for its sports teams to focus only on one side.

The development meant Francistown-based Diphatsa had to put on ice activities involving the women’s team to concentrate on the men side until further notice.

“Finances in our coffers at the moment cannot allow us to foot all the bills incurred when honouring league fixtures for both the male and female teams in the ongoing league,” acting team spokesperson and captain of the men side, Nlebesi Mphapo explained.

He said the decision taken by BDF left them shattered and the management, which is composed mainly of army employees have now limited time with the team due to work commitments.

Under the new dispensation, soldiers are now expected to focus more on military work and limit their involvement in activities like sports. The development has hurt Diphatsa most.

“Our coaches (Patrick Kooitsiwe and Johnson Makoba) are all soldiers. And their attachment to the team is now limited,” said Mphapo.

He stated that the women cannot train without coaches.

However, he said the intention is to resuscitate the women side next season on condition that a financial backer is on board.

Kooitsiwe said it was a sad development to see Diphatsa’s women side thrown in limbo. “It is a painful development for me, the game of volleyball and sports in general. I just obtained my Certificate in Sports Management from a college in China. And my hope was to put what I learnt into practice.”

Kooitsiwe, who has been coaching the club for the past five years, remains hopeful that the side will be back in action next season.