the monitor

Moroka pleads for private sector involvement

The Botswana team for this year's World Athletics Championships during its send off ceremony held on Friday PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
The Botswana team for this year's World Athletics Championships during its send off ceremony held on Friday PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) Board member, Michael Moroka shifted protocol during team Botswana send off ceremony to plead with the private sector to get more involved in sport.

The team is jetting off today (August 14) to Budapest for the World Athletics Championships that are set for August 19-27. Botswana has only one medal from the World Athletics Championships, a gold that was won by Amantle Montsho in 2011 during the competition that was held in Daugu, Korea.

Speaking during the ceremony held at Avani hotel, Moroka said when the team returns home with medals, a lot of companies will start associating with it. “When the team returns with something, you will see a lot of companies coming on board. Those companies will not even have an idea how these athletes prepared to reach the World Championships.

It is high time the corporate world is engaged to assist us to prepare the teams. Debswana alone cannot afford but we appreciate what they do,” Moroka said. Meanwhile, the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) is sending a team of 14 athletes to the championships (eight men and six women). This is part of Debswana’s sponsorship for athletics, which is a three-year partnership that the two organisations signed in 2022. The sponsorship ends in 2024 and during this period, a total of P9 million would be spent for the duration of the partnership, a P3 million per year. Head of delegation, Kenneth Kikwe said it was a huge achievement to be having a women’s team unlike at the last championships. The women’s 4x400m relay team received an invitation from World Athletics after the withdrawal of the Dominican Republic. He said the team that is travelling to Budapest is the best that they could assemble. The team: Letsile Tebogo (100m/200m).

Men’s 400m: Bayapo Ndori, Collen Kebinatshipi and Leungo Scotch. Men’s 4x400m relay: Ndori, Scotch, Kebinatshipi, Zibane Ngozi, Baboloki Thebe and Laone Ditshetelo. Men’s 800m: Tshepiso Masalela. Women’s 800m: Oratile Nowe. Women’s 4x400m relay: Lydia Jele, Obakeng Kamberuka, Nowe, Thomphang Basele, Galefele Moroko and Golekanye Chikani. Head coach: Chilume Ntshwarang. Assistant coach: Kebonyemodisa ‘Dose’ Mosimanyane.

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