Olympic-bound athletes get P25,000 each
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday July 6, 2021 15:43
Speaking during the send-off ceremony, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Tumiso Rakgare said they decided to reward each athlete with a once-off qualification sum of P25,000. He said the government has spent P33.3 million in the team's preparation over the last three years.
Rakgare said the funds covered the athletes’ preparations, training and qualifying for the games, athletes’ welfare and other administrative costs associated with getting the team ready for Tokyo.
“Coaches and assistant coaches would be rewarded P10,000 each. This is over and above the P8,333 monthly fee that has been paid since they qualified for the Games. An additional P7.5 million would be spent on the team between now and the end of the Olympics in August,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rakgare said the COVID-19 pandemic did not only result in the postponement of the Olympic Games by 12 months but also drastically way of life.
“For Botswana athletes, even the remotest possibility of cancellation of the Olympics was the biggest source of distress, for they had invested many hours on end for several years preparing for these Games,” Rakgare said.
Botswana is sending a team of 14 athletes who will compete in athletics, weightlifting, boxing and swimming.