Special Olympics Botswana to host national games

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent | Friday September 24, 2010 00:00

The games will be used, among other things, to select the team that will represent Botswana at the Greece World Championships next year.

Four swimmers will also be chosen once the weather is ideal for swimming.

SOB director, Ross Tebele, said the games are also a Special Olympics International mandate of providing all-year-round sports activities.

All the six SOB regions, which are required to send 50 athletes each, will take part in the games.

The athletes were chosen from the regional games held between July and August.

The games will also be used to remember the founder of Special Olympics International, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who died early this year.

Tebele said the intention is to host an annual event to remember her. Shriver is said to have formed the movement some 40 years ago because she had a sibling who was disabled.

There will also be a healthy athlete, which is the medical screening of athletes.

Tebele expressed hope that the team will do well in the world games next year just as they did last year when they brought home three gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze medal.

Botswana National Olympics Committee (BNOC) and Special Olympics International sponsor the event.