World Netball Youth Cup LOC duo quits
Calistus Kolantsho | Wednesday February 22, 2017 16:06
Information reaching Mmegi Sport is that the Netball World Youth Cup head of marketing and brand, Stephanie Stoneham together with public relations and marketing officer, Kelebogile Seitei have left. Although Netball World Youth Cup general manager, Tebogo Kesupile denied receiving a resignation letter from Stoneham, Mmegi Sport sources insist she has left.
Kesupile said she has only received a resignation letter from Seitei. She said the officer tendered her resignation because she was relocating from Gaborone due to work commitments.
“If what you are saying is true, then I have not received any resignation letter from Stoneham. To my knowledge she is still part of the LOC. We are working around the clock to find replacement for Seitei. If things were going my way, we could have replaced her by now,” she said.
Kesupile said the public relations officer position is critical and it should not remain vacant for a long time. She said they want somebody with the same capabilities as Seitei. She added that they are still waiting for the right candidate to apply.
The resignations come a few months before the world event. In 2013, Botswana was awarded the rights to host the 2017 World Youth Netball Championships beating their bid rival, Cook Islands. Botswana will be the first country in Africa to host the Netball World Youth Cup.
The competition brings together 20 teams from all over the world, following regional qualifiers.
Botswana qualified by virtue of being hosts. The hosts (Botswana) are in Pool C where they are drawn against Jamaica, Cook Islands, Malaysia and Uganda. Zimbabwe and South Africa are the other African countries in the competition.
Meanwhile, BotswanaPost and the Netball World Youth Cup 2017 secretariat has signed a partnership to deliver the Netball World Youth Cup in July. BotswanaPost is partnering with the netball family through a ‘themed stamp issue’ that will commemorate the games.
“As a corporate citizen, we have seen it fit and opportune to celebrate with the netball family, the sports fraternity in Botswana and the entire nation during this exciting time,” said Lebogang Bok, general manager, customer service and philatelic bureau.
For her part, Kesupile said the games will come and go but as a country there is a need to create real touch points and legacy recollections that can be shared and reminisce over into the future.
“The NWYC2017 stamp issue provides us the perfect memento,” said Kesupile. The stamps are due for release and official launch in May 19, to mark ‘50 days’ countdown to the games. The Under-21 World sporting event is scheduled for Gaborone in July.