We were the worst committee – chess secretary
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday February 10, 2024 08:34
The resignation follows a motion of no confidence passed against the committee by the BCF affiliates last week.
The committee has now lost the vice president administration, vice president technical, and public relations director.
Tingwane wrote a letter to the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) CEO, Tuelo Serufho where he confirmed that the process followed by clubs to pass a motion of no confidence against the committee was in order.
“I confirm that the process followed by the BCF clubs as members was within the confines of the BCF constitution and procedural, as stated by Article 12 (C ), Special General Meeting (SGM) and Article 21, motion of no confidence. I gracefully accept the removal from office by the membership,” the letter reads. Speaking to MmegiSport,
Tingwane said they have been the worst committee ever. “We cannot rest on our laurels and lose Debswana, our biggest sponsor for the national championships, league and youth tournament, that is one of the reasons clubs are angry. The two vice presidents left and the public relations director also left, they were not replaced immediately, those positions are very vital, that is operating in ICU,” he said. Tingwane said soon after the executive committee got into office in 2021, differences were laid bare, as there were two factions, but he was not party to that. “I got in as a neutral person, unopposed.
We cannot function like that; it was always a struggle. We hosted two tournaments in a year, which was a poor performance. Chess used to be one of the most disciplined and performing National Sport Associations (NSA) and a darling of the BNSC,” he said. Tingwane said chess delivered when it mattered the most, then things changed for the worse. He said the chess leadership was not engaging clubs regularly and the shenanigans of the factions eventually got out to the level that clubs started asking questions. “A mediation committee was formed to come up with solutions to assist the dying BCF.
I advise the executive committee to step aside,” Tingwane said. Mooketsi Segaise, the BCF president, who is part of the committee ousted by clubs, refused to comment on Tingwane's statements. 'We just saw a letter roving about which was forwarded to the BNSC. These aren't the issues I would want to find myself entangled in,' he said. Meanwhile, this weekend the second leg of the national team selection qualification gets underway at the University of Botswana. The top 20 men will take part in the selection tournament.