Orapa Club pulls out of volleyball league

Shingirai Madondo | Thursday October 16, 2014 14:19

OVC renewed its affiliation with the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) last year and took part in the last season’s league. The Orapa based outfit was part of the ongoing league but pulled out a couple of month ago citing its players’ work commitment.

The development has resulted in long faces for volleyball lovers in the diamond-rich Boteti district, who had seen the existence of OVC as an opportunity for them to enjoy the game they love.

Despite OVC’s perceived better financial status, thanks to the sponsorship the club receives from the Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM), the team has failed to attract fulltime volleyball players into their fold.

OVC was left to rely on miners employed by the mining giant. However, many of the players were restricted from attending some of the fixtures due to work commitments - a development that resulted in the club failing to honor some games.

It is against this background that OVC decided to pull out of the league in a bid to put its house in order.

Phenious Dintwa, the OVC chairperson said the club wrote a letter to the federation informing it about their decision because most of their star players were always committed at work and resultantly failed to honor fixtures.

“We lost some of the games which we were meant to win because most of our star players had failed to travel with the rest of the squad,” said Dintwa, adding that their squad always lacked the much needed depth.

Dintwa said OVC has excused itself from the league until their house is in order. He said the club will take part in cup competitions where possible. 

To solve the problem scuttling the development of the game of volleyball in the area, Dintwa said OVC has embarked on a recruiting drive. He said the club is looking forward to lure unemployed players from within the district to join them.

George Keotsene confirmed that OVC wrote a letter a couple of month ago expressing their failure to continue with the ongoing league. He said OVC was excused from participating with an option of rejoining the league.

Keotsene said BVF is working with OVC through helping them with ideas of how best they can grow the team.