Shocking revelations about centres of excellence

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Friday November 18, 2011 00:00

 

Participants at this year's Sports Pitso heard shocking revelations about centres of sports excellence, a creation of the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture.

On the second day of the sports indaba, which was held in Gaborone starting Tuesday, representatives from Mater Spei College and Nthwalang Junior Secondary School, two of the 12 secondary schools selected as centres of excellence revealed serious challenges faced by the centres.  Tapson Patane, a representative from Mater Spei College, which has been selected as a volleyball centre said they are faced with many challenges among them shortage of qualified coaches.

'As we speak now, there is only one head coach in the entire school, but we need at least four coaches of which two would focus on the girls, while the remaining two drill boys,' he said.

He said that the eight-hour working period for civil servants is not helping the situation adding that without teachers, sports would be adversely affected.  Participants at the Pitso heard that students do not get enough competitions and therefore end up going through tedious training routines. Patane added that most of the students at his school do not have proper training attire and there is a shortage of training equipment. He urged the Ministry of Education to guard against the transfers of coaches (teachers) who are properly trained for different sporting codes. He pointed out that volleyball courts at his school are in a bad state since they also lease them to other organisations for their activities.

A representative from Nthwalang secondary school, Bringle Kgabanyane said his school housed 25 boys from nine regions among them Xakao, Nokaneng and Tsau. His school has been selected as a centre of sports excellence for football. 'Originally we were meant to have 45 boys, but for some reasons known to parents, we received only 25 athletes. Parents cited finance, distance, time factor and lack of proper consultation as reasons for not releasing their children,' he said.

He further explained that industrial action made matters worse as months progressed with inactivity. 'The long lay-off has not only created anxiety in the boys, but it has now creped into parents and social welfare officers who take care of the disadvantaged members of the team. Already three boys have not come back.  At the moment we have requests from parents seeking to transfer their children all citing budgetary costs without positive results,' he added.

One concerned participant asked how a programme aimed at drilling future stars face serious funding challenges, while millions of Pula are being poured into the controversial constituency tournaments.

Botswana Boxing Association (BBA) president, Michael Moroka led calls for the discontinuation of the programme until a thorough study has been conducted. He said that as far as they are concerned at the BoBA, the programme is not bearing any fruits. He said Mogoditshane Senior Secondary School, which has been selected as the centre for boxing currently, does not have proper coaches.

He said the government continues to transfer people who could be of major assistance to other areas.

'As things stand right now, nothing is working as far as I am concerned and the solution would be to stop it until proper study has been carried out as to how the programme should be carried out,' he said.

However, participants resolved that the re-engineering of the programme be carried out.  Meanwhile an official from BURS, Magic Tau explained at the same event that sponsors for sports bodies or athletes recognised by the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) are exempted from paying tax as long as the right procedure is followed.  She said that a body seeking sponsorship only needs to bring a recognition letter to Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS). She said BURS would then give a letter to the body or athlete which will exempt his potential sponsor from paying tax.