As way to fight Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and promote health awareness, a women's football tournament was launched in Gaborone on Friday.
The National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA) and local non-profit organisation, BONA Naledi joined hands to launch the Positive Choices GACFA Cup 2023, which is for 16 teams in the Gaborone region. This tournament will be played throughout October since its breast cancer month and it will help spread cancer awareness.
The tournament will be played over three rounds where Division Two teams will be in action in the first round. The winners from the first round will face the second half of Division One teams and in the third round, teams from the top half of Division One will join the action. The top four teams will then proceed to the semi-finals.
"The tournament will be used by the partners NAHPA and BONA Naledi to spread awareness on cancer. At the end of the tournament there will be prizes won,” Kago Mosinyi, a representative for GACFA Cup, said. Principal Information, Education and Communications (IEC) officer, Gloria Rakgotla said the plan is to spread messages in a bid to curb NCDs, mainly breast cancer as it affects large numbers of people in Botswana. Rakgotla further emphasised that the move will empower the community and make sure they utilise services.
The Botswana Football Association (BFA), Southern Block National Executive Committee member, Vincent Mafuta assured NAHPA and other partners that they will get value for money and their objectives will be met. He said they want the initiative to grow and spread countrywide. “The BFA NEC took a deliberate action to transform women football to take us to greater heights, since women deserve better. In football and sports there are no masculine ideologies that must be applied.
The BFA through the NEC recognised that to achieve a greater perspective in football, is through women's football. Therefore, it is befitting to appreciate the efforts that are being done by our government," he said. "I applaud NAHPA for fighting NCDs using football and I want to plead to parastatals, companies, and other stakeholders to support this initiative and support women football, not only in Gaborone but also other regions. Let's improve football and the life of the girl-child,” Mafuta said.
