Wrestling duo gets new six-year term
Calistus Kolantsho | Wednesday August 30, 2017 16:18
Other executive committee members will be in office for two years.
Sharp told Mmegi Sport yesterday that the decision for the president and secretary general to be in office for a longer term is in accordance with international practice. He said the two positions are important for continuity. Sharp said his immediate assignment is to create a database for all wrestlers in the country. He said clubs have been advised to work hard and attract more people to join BWF especially primary school pupils. He said parents must realise that wrestling has the potential to bring medals from international competitions if given enough support.
Sharp said the issue of training of officials at club level remains a challenge. He said they intend to work with the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) to strategise on how officials could be trained.
“At the moment we have clubs in Selebi-Phikwe, Francistown and Glen Valley BDF camp. The intention is to have more clubs across the country. Our major obstacle is lack of equipment. We are still struggling with equipment but we intend to purchase karate mats, which we can use while still waiting for the right wrestling mats,” he said.
Sharp said he has not given up on a mat that was donated to BWF by the Russia Wrestling Federation (RWF). Early this year, BWF was left in the dark after the mat from RWF failed to arrive. The mat was said to have been shipped to Durban where it stayed for three months and was sent back to Russia because the BWF failed to collect it. Sharp said he lodged a complaint on how the whole process was conducted during the African Wrestling Federation (AWF) congress that was held in Morocco in May. He said promises have been made to have the mat returned and AWF has also pledged to assist BWF with equipment.
Meanwhile, Sharp has been appointed the second vice president of Pro-Wrestling Africa (PWA). He will represent Southern Africa in the PWA board. Sharp said the appointment means a lot not only for Botswana but the entire region. He said it is an opportunity for him to be within the inner circle of decision making. He said that means he can also always push for the development of wrestling in Botswana and neighbouring countries.
“It is important for the sport to grow in the region. We should all be at par to enable fair competition, athletes’ growth and benchmarking. If we develop wrestling in Botswana alone and it remains behind in Namibia, it would mean I am not doing my job. Every country in the region must move in the same direction,” Sharp advised.