Landscape Solutions vow to support badminton

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Monday May 27, 2013 00:00

 

The operations manager of the company, Wabatsha Baitshepi told Mmegi Sport that their three-year contract with Botswana Badminton Association (BBA) expired last year, they have not stopped supporting the sport. That is why they obliged when BBA approached them to sponsor a tournament to honour Makhura who was killed in a car accident in 2005. BBA will staged the tournament at the Lobatse Sports Complex tomorrow and Sunday.

The tournament has been divided into singles, doubles and mixed doubles.  Baitshepi said that badminton is one of the sporting codes in the country with a low following and they want to develop it. He said having a competition that gives juniors a chance to play with seniors is a good idea because it gives youngsters the much-needed experience.

'The tournament includes players from schools across the country and if it attracts good numbers we can see badminton growing. Minority sports code are big in other countries and we can do the same here,' said Baitshepi.He said if other companies can also put money in the game, more stars could be identified.The registration fee for the Lobatse tournament is P50 for singles and the same amount for doubles.  Hurricanes spokesperson, Modesto Madzambi said he could not divulge the prize money because they are still negotiating with other potential sponsors.

He said the tournament is meant to raise funds for the Makhura family and to assist BBA identify talent that can represent the country.  Madzambi said that the deceased won the Barloworld Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) award for Team of the Year in the doubles with Oreeditse Thela in 2002. He represented Botswana at that year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester, United Kingdom where he won a bronze medal.