Morule talks softball remedies

| Friday July 23, 2010 00:00

 

Mmegi Sport: What do you make of the women's team performance in Venezuela?

Morule: We did not match most of the teams we played against and that is consistent with the rankings. We competed well against Czech Republic and the Dominican Republic. Our biggest challenge is lack of competition. It is the third time that the women's team was participating in the competition whereas the men's team has been consistently competing since 1984. The last time the women's team played in the World Championship was 2006. Prior to this year's tournament, we wanted to play South Africa but they have their own challenges. The only way to compete effectively is to play against the teams that participate in the World Championships and learn from them.

Mmegi Sport: What do you think should be done to ensure that Botswana competes effectively?

Morule: We have to look at the development of our athletes and the technical staff. Although we do not have resources like our competitors, we should be at par in terms of the development of athletes. The majority of players come from our juniors and we are in the process of assembling an Under-17 side. We also have to take advantage of the School of Excellence that will be set up under the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture. The BSA has started a programme of training club coaches. In September, we will invite an external expert to train coaches on a continuous basis. The other issue is to bring teams, especially European countries, to play against our national team. We have to ensure that we can meaningfully compete with our European counterparts.

Mmegi Sport: We have seen on numerous occasions the association struggling to send national teams for international competitions. How crucial is the issue of funding? Are you hamstrung in this regard?

Morule: We would not have gone to the Championships if the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) or government had not funded the trip. However, this (funding) is not an issue that affects softball alone. In most instances, we are only left with funds for the competition itself without funds for preparations. As BSA, we must equally invest.

Besides the World Championships, there are other competitions, which are more or less of the same magnitude, which we should be competing in. Funding becomes a big stumbling block. Additionally, we do not have quality facilities to host top countries here.

Mmegi Sport: Talking about facilities, do you think football has been unfairly allocated the lion's share at the expense of other sports?

Morule: Soccer is a popular sport. Yes, in terms of what is allocated to the BNSC, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) gets the lion's share. In terms of infrastructure developments, there is bias towards football. Everything is done looking at its popularity. But that does not necessarily mean football will benefit. We must set clear targets and separate mass and elite participation. The lion's share is fine to facilitate mass participation and perhaps development but it does not guarantee that football will benefit directly from this.

Mmegi Sport: What efforts have you put to advance the cause of softball?

Morule: We have put every effort humanly possible. We cannot go beyond what we have done. For proper development, we need good facilities that will give players a sense of pride. (Softball relies mostly on the National Diamond pitch, which is in a state of disrepair).

Mmegi Sport: What is BSA doing about clubs that face financial constraints? Does their situation mirror the way the national team plays?

Morule: The association can only be as strong as clubs. There is nowhere a club can fold-up citing funding problems. The clubs have a strong appeal more than the BSA to raise sponsorship, which is why they frequently organise tournaments. It is best to harness that potential collectively. The strength of the BSA is with the clubs and they are not fully utilising their potential.

Mmegi Sport: Is there anything else you want to add?

Morule: We are pretty much aware of the challenges that we face. No matter how hard we try and confront them, they will always be challenges. We will, however, deal with the challenges and the leadership should be given ample time to implement its ideas, particularly what we learn from others. We have to apply international best practice across the spectrum.