The Minister of Sports and Arts (MOSA), Jacob Kelebeng has remained coy regarding incentive details following Team Botswana’s heroic display at the just ended World Championships in Tokyo.
The team scooped two gold medals through rising star, Collen Kebinatshapi in the 400m, while the 4x400m relay team achieved a similar feat. Bayapo Ndori won the team's other medal, a bronze in the 400m. Botswana settled for position five in the medals standings, the second best finish by an African country.
Now that the euphoria of the competition is simmering down, focus turns to the athletes' incentives. During a recent press briefing, opposition Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) president, Mpho Balopi implored the government to reward the remarkable work by the athletes stating that they should emulate what his party previously did.
Minister Kelebeng has however not stated what is in store for the stars, citing that there is a legislative review surrounding the incentives of sportsperson whenever they win on the international stage.
“There is a policy as to how we incentivize our athletes or sporting codes. So what we will do is to look at the policy but currently the policy is under review because we are not just looking at short term but the long term,” Kelebeng said.
But Kelebeng promised that something would be done for the athletes for their heroics in Tokyo.
“So we have a policy that guides us at what to do when athletes have performed like this on these stages for different sports,” Kelebeng said.
The minister heaped praise on the team after it improved it's tally from the last championships held two years back in Budapest, where they won two medals.
“We are happy with how the athletes performed at Tokyo. We really believe in them and now we are expecting more from these kids to do well. We are really happy,” Kelebeng said.
