Desert-like grounds counterpoint football vision :: Mmegi Online

The country's maiden appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals earlier this year in Gabon ushered in renewed attention towards football, but the country still faces a huge challenge in terms of proper training facilities for clubs.

Botswana's desert-like training grounds are in sharp contrast to plans to have a semi-professional league. In fact, the Bosele Declaration, passed in 2008, placed a demand on all clubs in Botswana to have proper training grounds by the beginning of the 2012/13 season as part of plans to turn the local league into semi-professional.

But none of the clubs has done much to improve the situation.Of the 16 Premiership clubs, only army-side BDF XI has a proper training pitch.Mmegi sports correspondent THATO KALA, with the help of football players, coaches and a health expert details why the desert-like training grounds used by the other 15 clubs, not only stand in the way of football's progress, but pose a serious health hazard for players.

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Desert-like grounds counterpoint football vision

The country's maiden appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals earlier this year in Gabon ushered in renewed attention towards football, but the country still faces a huge challenge in terms of proper training facilities for clubs.

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