Tsiang aims to drive tennis forward

| Friday December 10, 2010 00:00

 

Tsiang: The immediate priority will be to put together a team that will carry tennis forward. We have to get everybody to sing from the same hymnbook. That will be the starting point. Then we have to review our strategic plan as we prepare to move forward. We also have to see what is available in terms of resources so that we can get a good picture as to how we can move forward.

Mmegi Sport: Do you think there has been a lot of progress in tennis?

Tsiang: There has been a lot of progress. If you look around, there are facilities across the country. But I think what has happened is that there has been lack of continuity. General awareness has been created because we have tennis in schools and hold tournaments on a regular basis. However, there has been no continuity and we have to find out why that has occurred. Again, there is a worrying trend in that there are more boys than girls playing tennis. Thirdly, we have had good players who have benefited from tennis but after their playing days, they drift away even to other sport without ploughing back to tennis what they have been able to reap. So we will see how we can attract this talent back into the game. We are confident of success because we have goodwill from the government and have a lot of support from BNSC. We have a President (Ian Khama) who is passionate about sports. I think more than any time in the history of the country, we are seeing a political leadership that is very much committed to sports.

Mmegi Sport: You talk about former players drifting away, what do you think is the main problem?

Tsiang: Until we find out, it is difficult to say. Once we identify the problem, we will correct it. What we would like to do is focus on going forward rather [than] looking at the wrongs. That is why the priority at the moment is to build a team that will take tennis forward. We have a committed committee that has people from all backgrounds and some have played the game.

Mmegi Sport: Why do you think you are the right person to take tennis forward?

Tsiang: It is never about whether I am the right person or not but what I can contribute. It depends if one is able to take advantage of the opportunity. It is not only about my qualities but whether I am there to help. It is about teamwork and not an individual.

Mmegi Sport: In as much as it is about teamwork, you are the head of the association. What do you bring to tennis?

Tsiang: I bring listening skills. You listen and then guide those with the ability to be able to exercise their creativity. Nobody is an island. The important thing is to create an enabling environment for anybody who can contribute, to be able to do just that. This is from my background working with people in different organisations like the Botswana Television (Btv) and the Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA). It is about working with people and lending an ear. It is easy to talk but difficult to listen.

Mmegi Sport: How has been your involvement in tennis in the past?

Tsiang: My background is not particularly glossy. I have never played tennis at a competitive or professional level.

I have played the game socially and I find it a sport that encourages a lot of discipline and mental work. It is a good sport. I also have children who play tennis and my passion is to see them progress. They can earn a living from playing the sport but the ultimate goal is development.

Mmegi Sport: Talking about players earning a living from the game, how far are we from this stage?

Tsiang: It is not an easy question to answer but I will say we are an attitude away from that (sic). In terms of earning a living from competitive tennis, that is what we would want to see happening. If we can create the right environment, then we can achieve that. We are only an attitude, and little bit of more commitment away from that.

Mmegi Sport: Are you happy with the way Botswana tennis has performed at international level?Tsiang: I am not happy but I am not disappointed either because you can only reap what you sow. That means we have to put more in order to progress further. If you look at the Botswana International Junior Open, most of our players went out in the first round, largely due to lack of exposure. Their opponents were ranked much higher.

We have to narrow the gap through exposing the players. We have seen our players choke when they are on the verge of winning a game and end up on the losing side due to inexperience.

Mmegi Sport:  Are you involved in other sports disciplines and what attracted you to tennis?

Tsiang: I am not involved at the moment although I played softball for the Eagles as a catcher and I was into athletics. I gravitated towards tennis because you can play it until you are old.

Mmegi Sport: The issue of funding affects most sports codes. How is your situation?

Tsiang: We are affected. Going forward, it is one of the issues that we want to look at. All codes are dishing from the same pot. We have a small economy and you find that we beg from the same corporate sponsors, who are forced to prioritise. We need to find creative ways to get funding.

Mmegi Sport: Where are the supporters? Are there any initiatives to draw people to tennis games?

Tsiang: We want to target parents firstly. We want them to watch their children and then they will see the need to support them morally and financially. We are keen to raise the level of attendance. We need to get everybody, including the media involved. Our immediate target is to run a club league, which will see action every weekend.

This will raise competitiveness and there will be something to play for in terms of prize money.

Mmegi Sport:  How soon should we expect to see the changes that you have mentioned?

Tsiang: As I said, we have to put a team on the ground and then we can get started. We hope to hit the ground running next January.

Mmegi Sport: Former tennis star, Mary Pierce is in the country, what does it mean for Botswana tennis?

Tsiang: It is a fantastic boost. We had a chat with her and she is impressed with what she saw. Young players are encouraged when they see her. They have seen her on television and they get motivated knowing one day they can be like her. (Pierce is a former four-time Grand Slam winner and was once ranked third in the world)

Mmegi Sport: Outside tennis and BTA, how do you spend your time?

Tsiang: I am a devout Christian. I read the Bible a lot and spend time with my family. I am also a keen cattle farmer. I regularly go to the cattle post. I am an easy-going person who is not pretentious.

Mmegi Sport: What is your background?

Tsiang: I was born in Molepolole where I grew up. I went to Boribamo Primary School then to Kgari Sechele Senior Secondary. I came to Gaborone to enroll at the university and then went abroad to further my studies before joining Btv.