One of the objectives of the programme is to exchange netball skills between the two organisations. It targets youngsters between the ages of 11-17. The 75 teachers that were trained as coaches in phase one will be involved in training students in phase two. The training will be conducted in Gaborone, Mochudi, Kanye, Molepolole, Mahalapye, Palapye, Francistown, Orapa and Maun.
It is hoped that about 1,200 youngsters would have been introduced to the game at the end of the programme. Speaking at a dinner to welcome the UK delegation, the Director of Sports and Recreation (DSR), Falcon Sedimo encouraged UK Sports and BONA to use the programme to efficiently campaign for more people to join the game. He said that HIV/AIDS is a worldwide problem and sports can help reduce the effect of the disease.
"The game of netball has a tremendous opportunity to help alleviate this problem. By training your body, you will gain more strength and you will also develop a strong mind to deal with HIV/AIDS," he said.
At the end of the training programme, there will be a game between the Botswana senior national team and the UK Under-21 team. Sedimo urged the Botswana team to take the opportunity to prepare for the World Championships to be held in New Zealand in November.
He applauded BONA and UK Sports for using the bilateral agreements in sport signed between the UK and Botswana governments. The UK junior team will provide training equipment for the three-day training workshop.
The chairperson of Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) Dorcas Makgato-Malesu congratulated BONA on engaging in the programme.
She said it was good that the project came at this time when BONA is led by a woman. Makgato-Malesu said she has been waiting for this for a long time. "I have always wanted the leadership of netball to be taken by women because it is a women dominated sport," she said. Makgato-Malesu added that the Safari programme is good because it targets grass roots development.
The initiative came after BONA requested a development programme from International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA). IFNA sponsor Gilbert, has pledged to give BONA 100 balls annually for three years.
In addition, Gilbert will sponsor kits for the national team for the World Championships in New Zealand.
