BSA President Challenges Female Players

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent | Monday February 1, 2010 00:00

He said that often, women softballers prefer to walk behind men and the association is against this. Morule was speaking at the BSA tea party organised to raise funds for the women national team that is due to participate in World Championships in Venezuela in June. He said the BSA believes that women are as capable as men.

Speaking at the event, the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) vice chairperson, Nomsa Mbere urged softball leaders to make an effort to attract former players and administrators back to the game. Mbere who was the guest speaker at the event said bringing back the old guard will help the sport grow because they will use their knowledge to move the game to a higher level. Mbere said though softballers may not be performing well at international level, the game has produced leaders in other sectors of the economy. She said part of the reason the game has not been doing well at international level is lack of funds and poor facilities. Mbere said participating in competitions is not enough and that it is time the game brings titles. She reiterated that it is crucial that players are prepared mentally when going to competitions. She said one reason teams do not do well at the international stage is because of stage freight.

BNSC chairperson Daniel Tau reiterated Mbere's words saying the nation is yearning for glory and that it is time national teams start winning. He said that there is still light at the end of the tunnel. 'We are hanging here because we believe in ourselves and are hopeful that one day the results will come,' Tau said. He added that sports should be relevant to people's lives to attract sponsors. He said success is within reach and advised softballers to believe in themselves.

Former volleyball player, Tsoseletso Nkala urged the players to go to the World Championship with an open mind. She said playing at international level is not just about playing in the field. 'Go out there and interact with sports leaders from other countries as the information that you would gain from them will go a long way in helping sports in Botswana,' she said.      

At the tea party, Shell Botswana pledged an undisclosed amount to sponsor the team to the World Championships while Gaborone mayoress Veronica Lesole pledged P1,000. The event was one of the many fund-raising initiatives for the national women team.