Maun-based Yaros look to change volleyball landscape
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday May 19, 2017 11:35
The club has vowed to change the volleyball landscape after being accepted as the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) affiliate.
The club mostly comprises former national Under-17 players. Yaros coach, Mmoloki Gaobone told Mmegi Sport that the intention is to let the players grow together. Gaobone said the club, formed in 2015, tried to affiliate to the BVF the same year but without luck due to some technical challenges.
“We went back to sort ourselves out and we affiliated this year. We are lucky because we came at a time when the Capital Motors tournament was starting. We are going to use the platform to gauge ourselves. Yaros is the future of volleyball in this country,” he said, of a club whose oldest player is 24-years-old.
He said he used to coach the players when they were still students at Popagano Junior Secondary School in Sepopa and Nata Senior Secondary School.
He said his chargers are going to have an opportunity to watch top sides such as BDF VI and Kutlwano in action and that will be a motivation.
In the men’s competition, Yaros have been drawn against Police VI, who are the Zone VI champions and Mascom League champions and Diphatsa (former Capital Motors champions). He said that is a tall order but they intend to do their best. In the women’s side, Yaros face Kutlwano, Kalavango, Spiking Stars and Selebi-Phikwe.
“Playing Kutlwano and Kalavango will not be easy, but we are not going to play dead. I believe we can match Stars and Phikwe,” Gaobone said.
He said during the transfer window, they have shown interest in six players; Bokamoso Sase (Dynamites), Leungo Keipegetse (Kalavango), Kebame Gawahiwa (Dynamites), Mercy Mzwinila (Spiking Stars), Tshepaone Orapeleng (Kalavango) and Bapati Haake (Mag Stimela).
“I used to coach those players when they were part of the Under-17 team. I now want them to join their former teammates. There are still other players in other clubs that I used to work with,” he said.
Goabaone said the challenge that the club is facing is sponsorship. He said being far from Gaborone is going to drain them in terms of transport and accommodation costs.
He called upon well wishers in and around Ngamiland to assist the club in order for the team to achieve its goals. Goabaone said the challenge they are going to face with the new signings was that the players are based in Gaborone and training is going to be difficult.