BISA, BOPSSA out to defend title in Lesotho
Naledi Lemogang | Wednesday August 30, 2017 16:19
The Botswana team left the country on Monday, and is confident that if eight medals are secured, the title, won last year, will be defended. Six countries; Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe are competing in the games, which started yesterday and run until Sunday.
The competition has attracted 200 athletes who are Under-13 (from BOPSSA) and those aged between 13 and 17 (under BISA). The six countries will compete in soccer, volleyball, tennis, netball, rugby and basketball for both boys and girls.
Speaking during a send off ceremony, the team’s general manager, Montlenyane Radihephi said they are optimistic of securing more medals looking at the team’s preparations in Orapa. He said the team went into camp on August 17 after the players were selected during the BISA ball nationals held in Gaborone last month. “The preparations have been great and our players have shown that they really want to compete especially in netball and rugby because that is where we are expecting tough competition from countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe. The team has Under-17 athletes who have participated in similar games at Under-13 level in the past,’’ Radihephi said. He said they have been working on the Under-13 athletes who will be making their debut at the competition. Radihephi said the moral is high and they are ready to bring home their targeted medals.
“Players are fit to compete. There are no injuries following reports that we got from the medical team that has been dealing with athletes during and after trainings,” he added. Teachers, who double up as coaches, were encouraged to balance between sport and academics after the competitions.
The Minister of Basic Education, Unity Dow urged teachers to continue assisting students in their academic work after the competitions, the same way they assist them to excel in the sports. “I know that most coaches are teachers. Therefore, I urge them to assist these athletes in balancing academic work and sport so that a student can excel both sides. It brings joy to me to see such a number of students heading to a competition with such pride and moral.
I know that it takes a team of disciplined and hardworking individuals (to win medals),” Dow said.
She said she has been informed of the consistent performance of the athletes taking part in a similar competition and she is impressed with the hard work the two associations, BISA and BOPSSA do to unearth future sports stars.