Mmegi

BNSC faces stadia headache

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The Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) CEO, Tuelo Serufho, has admitted challenges they face in maintaining stadia countrywide.

The BNSC is responsible for the maintenance of public stadia and Serufho, responding to MmegiSport inquiries, acknowledges the difficult task the commission is confronted with. "It is quite challenging as the facilities are not generating enough money even for their maintenance," Serufho said. Some facilities such as the Masunga Sports Complex barely have enough economic activities. Whilst others do have some degree of activities, quite a few of those are effectively social, and the commission does not make much from them," he added.

Most of the public facilities are dilapidated, with concerns over ablutions at the National Stadium whilst the bucket seats are in constant need of replacement. The Molepolole Sports Complex has hardly been used in recent years, whilst the Masunga Sports Complex is in a bad state. The same can be said about the Serowe Sports Complex, as the cost of maintaining stadia is proving a headache to the BNSC. Activities held at most of the facilities are far between. The most utilised are the National Stadium and the Obed Itani Chilume, which is the country's only CAF accredited stadium. "The purely commercial activities are limited in number and consequently, they are not enough to cover maintenance costs," Serufho said. He said the solution lies in outsourcing the management of the stadia as well as generating revenue through naming rights. "The best way forward is, on one hand, to sell naming rights and on the other hand, to outsource the management of the stadia to a commercial entity, of course with a bespoke agreement that would allow access for national events as well as sport activities at affordable rates," he said.

Editor's Comment
Let’s fight GBV as a collective

Botswana for the longest time was known for her virulent peace with family being an enviable institution.As the media, we are also scared to be incessantly reporting on these bloody scenes where women are brutally murdered and worse, sometimes in front of their children and loved ones. Yes, we have reported cases where men were also brutally murdered by their loved ones, but such cases are a drop in the ocean.For the past two weeks, Botswana was...

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