BSRA development officer, Margo Schickerling said the grant the association receives from the government is not enough to fund all its activities. She explained that the association has to rely on fundraising activities and sponsorship to implement development programmes. She said they have set a target of implementing junior development programmes between 2009 and 2010. "Our 2009-2010 goal is to implement the junior development programmes at all squash clubs and centres in Botswana. The aim of these programmes are to increase junior participation as well as identify and develop players for Commonwealth and Olympic Games," she said. She added that they have successfully launched their junior development programme in Gaborone (January 2009), Jwaneng (June 2009), and Selebi-Phikwe and Francistown in October.
"To date these programmes have been running with a total of 120 juniors being coached weekly in Gaborone, 40 in Jwaneng, and an equal number in Selebi-Phikwe and Francistown," she said. She stated that the BSRA has appointed administrators and development assistants in Jwaneng, Francistown and Selebi-Phikwe. The association will hold a training camp in Jwaneng from November 30 to December 4. Primary school children between the ages of nine and 12 drawn from across the country are expected to take part in the training programme. The juniors will be taken through intensive coaching and training to prepare them for selection of national teams to take part in tournaments in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in 2010.
