Gilika yet to raise hand for Galaxy's top post
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday May 14, 2021 15:26
Just a week before an elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) Gilika, the club’s founding chairperson is yet to outline intentions of continuing his reign, Mmegi Sport has learnt. Gilika was voted club chairperson when Galaxy was formed from the merger of Jwaneng Comets and Blue Diamonds in 2015.
He led the Galaxy Stars to elite promotion in the same year.
The team has been to two Mascom Top 8 finals, winning once in 2019. Under Gilika’s watch, Galaxy became the youngest club to win a league championship in 2020 whilst the team has made appearances in the CAF club competitions in just six years of existence.
Off the field, the Jwaneng-based side has performed exceptionally well. In the FIFA Botswana Strategic Plan report, Galaxy top the local clubs’ revenue returns from sponsors.
The report aims to identify major strengths and weaknesses that could have an impact on the development of football in the country. It saw all 16 premier league clubs being examined on how they carry out their football-related businesses.
According to the report, Galaxy raked in around $500,000 (P5.4 million) in sponsorship revenue per football season. In second place is Orapa United, with a figure of about $310,000 (P3.3 million) per season while third place on the list is Security Systems, with around $250,000 (P2.7 million) from their sponsors.
The Galaxy Stars managed to beat off traditional ‘big’ clubs, Gaborone United and Township Rollers who are fourth and fifth with P1.6 million and P1.1 million respectively.
With such success within a short period, Gilika has become a favourite to lead the club for another term but his muted approach has sent those within the club worrying.
“We are worried here, it is just a week before the elections but the chairman has remained quiet.
This is when he should be leading the club as a whole towards the elections, conducting media interviews telling the nation as a whole that the club is going for an elective meeting.
But he is quiet and we are yet to know if he will stand, which is quite surprising looking at the work he has done as the club chairman,” a source at the club said.
Repeated efforts by this publication seeking comment from Gilika were futile as his mobile phone rang unanswered.
Speaking to Mmegi Sport, Galaxy’s public relations officer, Tankiso Morake said since the opening of nominations for positions in the executive committee on March 10, the club is yet to receive any submissions but said it was too early to press panic buttons.
“We have not yet received names (for positions in the committee), there has not been anyone coming forward to show interest. However, we are not worried, the deadline is May, 18 (2021).
We do not know yet why there is little interest in positions, maybe it’s because they (aspirants) are being technical in a way or something,” he said.