BNSC denies failing Crosbie
Kabelo Boranabi | Thursday January 19, 2017 09:54
The rider finished 36th at the just ended Dakar Rally but had to dig deep in order to get funding elsewhere for the trip.
Speaking to Mmegi Sport yesterday, the BNSC chairman Solly Reikeletseng said the sports regulatory body could not give the rider financial assistance due to a fixed budget. He said the commission gives support to local athletes through their various sporting codes and at the time the Botswana Motor Sport’s (BMS) budget was already depleted.
“We work on a budget. When an athlete or a team qualifies for international tournaments, it is the responsibility of the code to seek funds for them. When Crosbie came to us, the motorsport body’s budget was already depleted hence we could not help him. It is not like we snubbed him. To us, he is a hero and we are proud of what he has done,” he said.
Reikeletseng further refuted claims that the rider was snubbed for the Zebra Funding scheme saying the commission provided support in kind to the rider.
“Our mandate is sports development, not to look for sponsors for the athletes. To sanction his participation at the competition shows our support. We even helped him with documentation he used to look for sponsorships. We will release the names of the athletes who qualified for the Zebra Funding in March,” he said.
On the other hand, Crosbie told a press conference in Gaborone yesterday that although he did not receive monetary support from the BNSC, there is no bad blood between him and the association. “They did not assist that much at all. However, we cannot dwell on the negatives we had to move on hence why we sought to try other options. We did not really want any responses from them, it was my target.
I obviously wanted help from them; we hoped to get the help. I am not out here to prove anyone wrong,” he said. He further said after the BNSC snub he was motivated to look for sponsors hence he managed to achieve his dream.
Crosbie, who had a torrid time looking for sponsors, said he has not yet taken a decision whether he will compete in next year’s edition of the Dakar Rally.
“I have not decided yet, but this time I would like to take a couple of guys with me. It will be good to have someone you know that side and we would approach the BNSC for sponsorship when we decide,” he said.
Meanwhile, Reikeletseng said the commission has given BMS six months to put their house in order before they could hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM).
BNSC dissolved the BMS executive committee after it failed to hold its annual meeting on several attempts. “They are supposed to hold an AGM soon, their six months period ends in June. If they fail to sort out their differences by then we would take over their activities for good,” he said.