An Incentive Policy marching out of sync

Mqondisi Dube | Monday February 5, 2024 17:50

Almost two years later, Ross Branch finishes second in the equivalent of motorsport's Olympics, the Dakar Rally and gets P100, 000. The relay team received support from the government, through the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) while there is also assistance through the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC).

There was nothing out of pocket as the athletes' welfare was taken care of by the government. For Branch to go to the Dakar Rally, he has to dig deep into his pockets. Luckily, he is under a factory team which takes care of some of the expenses. The Dakar Rally is acknowledged as one of the toughest, if not the toughest, off-road races on the motorsport calendar. It is the undoubted World Cup of motorsport. Branch has elevated the status of local motorsport and by extension, enhanced the country's image on the international arena. However, the rewards he got are not reflective of this, thanks to an archaic Athletes Incentives Policy.

The Incentives Policy was introduced in 2012 as a way to recognise and reward athletes' efforts on the international front. Commendable as it is, it is a shame that the Policy has, through administrators, failed to keep pace with changing times. In fact, from the onset, the Policy was not well-thought considering the number of loopholes that persist to date.

The document assumes a fallacy position in the sense that it adopts a one-size-fits all approach. We know the dynamics of sport, particularly in Africa where the popularity of most codes outside football is almost none existent. So it’s unfair to cluster events which are peculiar on their own. To say for athletes to be rewarded a certain number of countries should be present at the competition is merely being disingenuous from the crafters and the proponents of the Policy. How many active softball countries do we have on the continent? Effectively, this might rule out softball players from benefitting from the Incentives Policy.

Where do you place the Dakar Rally in the classification table? These are pertinent issues that need immediate remedy as there has been groaning from athletes. Without a doubt, it was a good move to craft the Policy as a guiding document, but it is time it is refined to acknowledge the obvious gaps and also ensure it marches in sync with the changing times. As it stands, the favoured codes will be athletics and football which attract mass participation and it easy to categorise the national and international events.