PASSOBO ready to host games despite limited funds
Spira Tlhankane | Thursday May 21, 2015 12:01
PASSOBO president, Shirley Keoagile told journalists in Gaborone on Tuesday that the Local Organising Committee (LOC) had made considerable efforts to mobilise resources, but financial challenges still persisted.
Their budget is P300,000, but they have only raised P65,000.
She said preparations for the games were demanding due to the limited time and lack of commitment from sponsors.
“With this limited sponsorship, I am pleased to say that we are moving forward,” she explained. Keoagile said they remained positive despite having sponsorship challenges. “We need more sponsors to come on board.” Keoagile further said sportspersons with disabilities want to share their experience. She said PASSOBO strives to make champions from these games to build role models and ambassadors in promoting sports for People With Disabilities (PWDs).
“During these games, people will witness how a diverse group of people with disabilities in sports can work together to showcase their talent,” she said.
Keoagile added that the games would provide a platform for PWDs in terms of qualifying for the next international games.
However, she explained that athletes would not compete for medals, but instead they would use the games to build their profiles. “We have registered 500 athletes, but only 300 will take part,” she said.
Keoagile thanked the sponsors who had already come on board. The sponsors are Motor Centre, Ministry of Health, LPMG, Yarona FM, 03, Choppies, MRI, Boitekanelo College, Boitekanelo Clinic, Kagisong Centre, Auditor General, Dikipapara Factory, Roads Training Centre, Keorapetse Investment, SUPASIGN and University of Botswana.
The games will cover sports codes such as athletics, goal ball, powerlifting for visually impaired. The Deaf sports will include football, netball, volleyball, athletics, chess and karate. The physically disabled will play wheelchair basketball, wheelchair race and powerlifting. Some of the athletes who will be competing in these games will represent Botswana at the All Africa Games in September.