It is always sad to wake up to the reality that we are far from world beaters, 43 years after independence. Batswana have most of the times taken defeat with remarkable grace. But it is time for serious soul-searching after perennial defeats in the sports. The monotonous praises heaped on underachieving Botswana sports teams should stop. As the saying goes: 'A miss is as good as a mile'. Only the victor will linger longer in the minds of spectators. Football coaches would tell you that second best is unacceptable. If only our 'heroes' could look back at the pain they inflict on the sports-loving public and the dent they make on the tax payer's pocket when participating in international competitions, then may be they will start doing better.
The losses are not only on the field of play but financially as well. The government spends millions sending our sportsmen and women to various competitions, but these days the result is almost predictable. It says something that after the just-ended World Athletics Championships, thousands of South Africans turned up to welcome their heroes at Oliver Tambo International Airport, but in neighbouring Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama International Airport was deserted when the contingent from Berlin jetted in. It is saddening that softball players and officials in the national team were forced to dig deep into their pockets to fund a trip to Canada, but the results on the field were disastrous to say the least. We are not saying it is wrong to lose, but let us not make it a habit.
