Brilliant TASC face mammoth financial task
Koketso Kgoboge | Friday August 26, 2016 14:38
Formed in 1992 under the auspices of Botswana Defence Force (BDF), alongside TASC Football Club and Scramblers softball team, the club has enjoyed unlimited success, which landed countless silverware. This was all under the support of the BDF.
The Tango Girls, as TASC netball team is affectionately known, have since inception established itself as a force to reckon with.
They announced their presence in 2000, when they were crowned the Debswana Cup Champions. From 2003 to 2006 they swept everything on offer.
They won Murray & Roberts (2003 and 2004), Debswana Cup (2004 and 2006) and Motor Centre (2004 and 2005). From then onwards, they became runners-ups in four competitions from 2007 to 2008 and won the Motor Centre league championship in 2009.
Tango Girls added to their silverware in 2010 by winning the Find the Ball Tournament and the Spar Netball league.
They were runners-ups in the My Spar Netball league for three consecutive years in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In all competitions that they took part in 13 years their worst performance earned them third position and that was only on three occasions.
TASC have over the years been a reliable contributor to the woman’s national netball team where they currently have four players in team that is preparing for next year’s Netball World Youth Cup, which Botswana will be hosting. The club also takes pride in their 15-year-old starlet, Pretty Never who is representing the nation at the ongoing COSASA Games.
TASC have also been the backbone of the northern zone netball, providing a platform for players in Francistown and the surrounding villages.
TASC have, for years, been the ladder for developing student netballers in schools around the city and for out of school players. Despite financial challenges the club has soldiered on and provided hope for the northern netballers.
But a 2013 decision by BDF to pull out of the club ushered a dark period.
The only support they get from their former sponsor is the netball court they use for training. Their fate is spiralling down like that of their counterparts, TASC FC and Scramblers who were also cut off by the military. TASC FC are struggling in the First Division, while Scramblers are still finding its feet from a rubble of poverty.
Lack of netball competitions since 2013, after the league failed to find a sponsor, did not help the situation. In fact it meant lack of income for the Tango Girls and maintaining the team since then also put a strain on their financials.
After three years of running without income, TASC are beginning to feel the pinch.
The club manager, Benson Ntereke said they have reached crossroads and are at a point that even fulfilling a fixture this season becomes their worst nightmare. He said if they do not get a lifeline they fear for the worst.
“We fear to go into too much debt. If it is hard to get a sponsor now when we are not deep in debts, who will want to sponsor us when we are swimming in debts.
It will only compound our problems and we fear we are losing the grip, hence we are here calling for help,” he said.
He said the last time they had proper training equipment was after receiving a handout from Botswana Netball Association in 2011.
“I can’t even remember the last time we bought a playing kit. We are running out of training equipment, we are relying on individuals who sometimes give out one or two things to keep us going. It’s a constant struggle,” he said.
Ntereke said efforts to raise funds to improve the situation suffered because of lack of support.
“We had tried to raise funds through organising different events but we were not succeeding and instead we ran at a loss because of low turn out,” he said.
He said they have a development team of secondary school students who have potential and some had begun to make inroads in the league competition and breaking into the national team.
“The talent of these youngsters keeps us going and it is our wish to see them representing the nation in international competitions.
We have started our league competition with our Under-19 side and they have won all their games and that proves their potential, but with our situation we can’t guarantee sustainable development for these young talents,” Ntereke told Mmegi Sport.
Furthermore, Ntereke said if TASC fail to hold on, then the future of Botswana netball will suffer a huge blow.