Change of attitude key if BNSC is to make even bigger strides

Thuso Palai | Tuesday October 27, 2015 17:53

Over the years, the Botswana National Sport Commission, erstwhile Botswana National Sports Council, has been at the forefront of sport development in the country. They have had huge successes and a few knocks here and there. On the whole they have covered themselves in glory. As I always say, I’m a positive person and I always look for positives before I look for negatives. And what I have seen and observed over the years with the BNSC, they have done well for sport in the country. With an even bigger budget, I’m pretty confident they could have done even more.

In the current Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, the BNSC has an energetic, always available leader who will always be on the prowl, encouraging and demanding results. In Solly Reikeletseng, they have a shrewd, tough as teak marshal who will always implore more delivery.

They have since added Falcon Sedimo as Chief Executive and he brings a wealth of experience in sport administration. I couldn’t have asked for someone else. Sedimo has proved himself over the years as a great sports administrator and his addition at the Commission will surely bring about more clout.  With this three-man team and those around them, im confident that we will make great strides towards achieving what we have set ourselves in the much talked about Vision 2028.

The Vision 2028 strategy talks to a lot of issues that need a mindset change. If we are to achieve the Vision, we must have a change of attitude, or else we will forever be talking about the same issues without making much headway. While the previous strategy focussed on advocacy for sport to be part of the priorities in the national agenda, the new strategy focusses on setting up an enabling environment for active participation of the population in sport at all levels.

Batswana need to be involved in sport at all levels, and across all sporting codes. And that is possible if we are to focus in schools where young people make decisions on what sport to do. The new strategy also focusses on superiority of performance in sport, as well as making sport professional. People need to start earning a living through sport. 

One aspect that I really like about this new strategy is that it talks about professionalising sport, and sustainability of sport through more of a business, or entrepreneurial approach to sport. Over the years, there has been the ‘big brother’ sport codes that have dominated the agenda of the BNSC, and there is need for mindset change so that other ‘smaller’ codes can also get the necessary attention. Well, it is normal that some sport codes would get more attention, but we shouldn’t ignore the ‘smaller’ less attention grabbing codes. There is need for more equitable resource distribution to affiliates, so as to empower all codes.

Having said this, there is great need for a mindset change. We need to appreciate all codes and to some extent look at them as equals, or else we will forever have these huge disparities between them.  It is therefore key that there is some kind of change and shift in attitude if the BNSC is to make even bigger strides and achieve the ideals of this well thought, well laid out Vision 2028.