Handover delays AUSC Games preparations
Kabelo Boranabi | Thursday June 1, 2017 15:49
The new committee, led by Thebe Selema was voted into office on May 8, but a month later the old guard is still ‘running’ the office. The delay has affected the BTTA’s preparations for the African Union of Sports Commissions (AUSC) Region V Games, which Botswana hosts in December.
Information reaching Mmegi Sport is that some members of the old committee are dragging their feet in speeding the handover process, which was supposed to be completed a week after the elective meeting.
“It is an issue of volunteerism in sport. When you deal with people who are volunteering this is what you would likely get. We are working around the clock to get them to handover everything to the new committee,” a source said. Contacted for comment, the BTTA competitions secretary, Tshepo Modisane confirmed that they are yet to resume full office duties. He, however, said the issue would be resolved by the end of next week.
“We attended the BNOC (Botswana National Olympic Committee) meeting last week, but we are yet to be formally introduced to the relevant stakeholders as the new committee. We are yet to hit the ground running, but we have a plan for the games. We cannot implement it yet. I think by next week, we would have solved the issue,” he said.
Modisane further said the delay has not only affected the off-field preparations for the games as the national team select has also been severely affected.
“We are running after time. We should have had three training camps so far, but due to the fact that there has been no handover, there is nothing we can do. We also have our own ideas on how to improve the team and the sport, but we have to wait at the moment,” he said.
The tournament is likely to start on the first week of December. Last year, Botswana won bronze medals in both the men and women team events while in the individual event, only Bonolo Mabote managed to reach the quarterfinals.
The country will have two teams at the competition by virtue of being the hosts. The men’s team is made up of Bonolo Mabote, Bakang Maloka, Thobo Matlhatsi, Tirelo Tshipinare and Masa Lesole while the women’s team is composed of Tshepiso Rebatenne, Boitshwarelo Butale, Olorato Ramagapu, Oratile Kedisaletse and Game Kebodiwang.