For the first time in the history of netball, Botswana is not participating in the Africa Netball Cup. Speaking to MmegiSport, the BNSC marketing manager, Alema Maruping, said they have taken note of recent allegations made by the Botswana Netball Association (BONA) suggesting that the commission failed to fund the national team’s participation in the Africa Netball Cup. “Whilst we understand the importance of transparency in the management of sport, we would like to clarify the matter as follows: No funding request submitted for the Africa Netball Cup. The BNSC has not received any formal funding request from BONA specifically for participation in the Africa Netball Cup. Associations are required to submit detailed requests for financial support in line with our operational procedures to ensure proper planning and accountability,” she said.
Maruping explained that the Africa Netball Cup was not included in the annual plan, adding that BONA did not include the tournament in their activity plan for the current financial year. She said as the BNSC allocates resources based on the approved annual plans of associations, it was not possible to allocate funds for an event that was not originally prioritised or planned for. “The BNSC remains committed to supporting the development of netball and all other sports in Botswana. However, our processes require proper planning, adherence to financial guidelines, and timely communication from our National Sport Associations. We encourage all associations, including BONA, to ensure that their requests align with the priorities outlined in their annual plans to facilitate effective support,” Maruping said. However, MmegiSport is reliably informed that the Africa Netball Cup was included in the BONA activity plan for the current financial year. “Yes, it was not explicit on the budget because the BNSC budget is divided into three sections, competition, administration, and development. When they allocate a BONA grant, the funds are allocated accordingly. What BONA is not doing, which I think BNSC is referring to is that they did not engage further to tell BNSC that they need extra money for the competition,” a source said.
