Kebualemang Calls It A Day
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday August 31, 2020 11:59
He made the announcement during PBAB Special General Meeting (SGM) at the National Stadium over the weekend.
The veteran boxer has been at the helm of the association since its registration in 2016. PBAB goes for elections in October. Kebualemang told Sport Monitor in an interview that despite members being against his decision to retire, he has already made up his mind.
“The members are against my decision but I have decided to retire. I want to rest. I have been involved in boxing for many years as a boxer, coach and an administrator. I am now tired,” he said. Kebualemang further said he could not continue leading the association as he has responsibilities back home. He said the challenge is that sport needs to focus all the time and it makes it difficult for one to do other things while engaged in support at the same time.
He said it is better to be involved in sport in other ways, but not to be leading all the time. “I have received appointments from international organisations. They realised the role I played in professional boxing locally in registering PBAB. They want to work with us and for our boxers to challenge for international titles, we should have a representative in those bodies,” Kebualemang said.
He said when he retires, PBAB would not have representation in international bodies boards. Kebualemang said his successor could become a member but would that person have the knowledge.
He said it is an issue that PBAB members would decide if whether they could ask him to continue being part of the executive or not.
Kebualemang said there is need for PBAB to be under Parliament Act, whereby the minister would be in charge of appointing executive members.
“We should not be under the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) because even their Act does not recognise us. It only talks about professionalising sport. When we are autonomous, there would be a professional boxing act of which the draft is already there that needs to be followed,” he said. Meanwhile, Kebualemang said last year they did not have elections.
He said the board members were not voted into office to run professional boxing after a disruption by one of the members.
“It was due to lack of knowledge. Membership of professional boxing is different from other National Sport Associations (NSAs). We do not have clubs whereby they register at Registrar of Societies. We have stables, referees, managers, doctors and agents. They are the ones who affiliate with us,” he said. Kebualemang said SGM was meant to come up with election guidelines and select the elections committee.
The meeting was also meant to review PBAB constitution. He said they could not amend the document because that would be done at the general assembly. Reacting to the retirement, Thuso Khubamang of Scud boxing stable said it was too early for Kebualemang to retire. He said the veteran boxer is needed to take PBAB forward.