Varsities' debating tourney around the corner

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday August 31, 2010 00:00

The event will attract 1,500 debaters from 63 countries to Botswana.

At a stakeholders meeting held in Gaborone over the weekend, organisers of the world famous event said they have managed to get some assistance from some government departments whilst some corporate sector players have pledged to help.

Lawrence Ookeditse, of the Local organising committee, said so far they have been able to 'secure 10 buses' from the Central Transport Organisation (CTO).

They have promised to avail the buses to facilitate ground transport for the duration of the tournament. Meanwhile, the British Council has also sponsored the local organising committee's training to prepare them to run an effective and successful tournament.

'This is good in the sense that most of us are not professional event organisers and the training is quite helpful,' he said.

Ookeditse says the tournament will boost Gaborone city's economy by around P10 million, because 'the hotel and catering industry, transport, including cabs and taxis, conventions centres, the telecommunications industry and others will be utilised by the visitors in the 10 days of the tournament'.

The WUDC, according to a document by the local organisers, is the largest non-sporting event in the world, with an extensive global reach.

Botswana was awarded the right to host the WUDC by the World Debating Council in Cork, Ireland, in January 2009. 'The World Debating Council requires the host to showcase the country's culture at this international forum. The University of Botswana has assured the organising committee of full support for the venture.

This support has manifested into agreements to provide transportation, classrooms, audio visual equipments and venues for debate...some participating countries coming to Botswana include England, United States of America (US), South Korea, China, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia...and Qatar,' reads the document in part.Botswana will become the second country on the continent, after South Africa, to host the event.