'Selfless' Kootswele Laid To Rest
Koketso Kgoboge | Monday January 20, 2020 11:10
Emotional eulogies from different speakers described the Green Lovers mentor as a dedicated football lover, people’s person and a devout christian.
He is commonly known as the man who took the team from the rubbles and transformed it into a conveyor belt churning out young talent.
Speakers commended Chips for producing numerous players who ply their trade in the local top leagues and as far as Europe.
He was dogmatic in his plans with Lovers and wouldn’t bend to challenges and outside influence. He believed in youth development and rode the tougher Premiership and First Division with players as young as 16-years-old.
Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, McLean Letshwiti praised the mentor for his courage and selflessness. He said Chips’ departure was premature.
“This is a man who shared his God given gift of talent with the nation. He embedded his skills into younger players that today are employed and feeding families. He has not benefitted from his sacrifices, but he did not bow from serving his purpose,” the BFA president said. He added that the association noticed his commitment and engaged him, but God had other plans. “We have lost him here, but he is an angel that would look after us. He did his part and his legacy reverberates far away shores in as far as Turkey as it has been mentioned and it will live on.”
According to his brother, Thabiso Kootswele, Chips died a ‘football death’. He revealed Chips was diagnosed with heart complications following his other brother’s passing. He said doctors had warned him to abstain from situations that would exacerbate his condition.
Thabiso said his brother was worried about his squad with the transfer window open. He said things were not going well with the team.
“It pained him so much that he was losing his players to other teams. He talked about it emotionally, which caused him a lot of pain, and that could have had an effect on his heart.”
He had only three squad players left, and it pained him. In his emotional tribute, Leatile Matsetse, representing the current crop of Green Lovers players said he met his late mentor in 2009 at Re Ba Bona Ha, while he played for Under-12s. He said Chips made him a complete player he is.
“He took me through the ranks from junior teams to playing league football. He was a father to us, a very strict man at training but very soft in the dressing room. He accepted results with a smile; positive or negative and he was always looking forward to making us learn from our mistakes.” Kootswele was further applauded for distinct performances for the Serowe regional football. Besides his Lovers team, he worked as a regional coach overlooking development.
The team he assembled won four out of six trophies at national level. Other speakers described him as an excellent parent, a life coach, great manager of time and finances. He was not a pretender, ever smiling, as it was evident in his interviews in the media.
He was a great businessman who worked hard and shared his benefits with the nation.
“He had no interest in the money. He was God-sent to serve the younger generation,” Central South Regional Football Association chairperson, Rieger Mothowagae said.