Softball team denied World Cup chance
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday April 27, 2024 06:00
The team travelled to South Africa for the qualifiers in March and made it to the World Cup group stages to be held in Canada in July.
However, the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) has said the softball team was fully aware that despite qualification, there was no way the side would participate on the world stage. It only emerged on Wednesday when the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) confirmed teams that would participate in the XVIII World Cup that Botswana had been omitted.
This follows the conclusion of the Africa and Americas qualifiers.
The decision led to Israel being awarded a wild card. Botswana was to compete in Group B matches to be played in Prince Albert, Canada. Other countries in the group are Argentina, Canada, Hong Kong, China, New Zealand and Singapore. Botswana earned a ticket to play in the group stages by finishing second behind South Africa in March.
However, the Botswana Softball Association declined their participation in the competition, opening a pot for a wild card, which was subsequently awarded to world number 12, Israel. According to information reaching Mmegi Sport, the BSA executive committee had committed to the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) that even if the team qualifies for the World Cup group stages or not, they will not request funds to travel for the tournament in Canada.
The BNSC marketing and communications manager, Anderson Nlisana, said the Commission permitted the BSA to participate in Limpopo on the basis that they were not going to the next stage. “We advised them if funds are available, we would rather consider funding their development or facilitate their teams to play a league.
We were clear that we were only funding the Limpopo stage. We would rather consider their development structures,” Nlisana said. Reacting to the decision, national team coach, Tony Moyo, told MmegiSport that he had not received any formal communication from the BSA that his team would not continue with the competition.
“If that is true then it is a disappointing decision. Although our term as the technical team is ending this month, we had a training plan in place for the group stages. I guess now we should shift focus to grassroots development,” he said. Meanwhile, the BSA affiliates travel to Mahalapye for an elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) this weekend.
The incumbent president, Katlholo Mosimanegape is seeking re-election but faces competition from former president, Tirelo Mukokomani. The executive committee is accused of appointing the elections committee but did not share names with affiliates. “Notices pertaining to the AGM have not been sent to affiliates in line with what the constitution stipulates.
Window for nominations was 27 days, not 30 days as per the BSA constitution. The second notice was five days overdue the time frame of the constitution,” a source said. One of the elections officers, Tebogo Johannes, told MmegiSport that they went through the BSA constitution and there were main points concerning elections and some of them required a legal advisor's opinion.
He said when they raised the issues with the BSA executive committee, they were informed that all would be dealt with at the AGM. Johannes said some of the points include a clause that states that all members must be registered with the Register of Societies (ROS). He said they needed to check if they are still registered and clubs should produce certificates.
“Regarding the BSA compliance, we needed to verify if all members have a clear and up-to-date constitution and if their membership with ROS and the BSA is in good standing,” he said.
When asked about allegations that clubs are complaining that they have not endorsed the elections committee and it has not been shared with them, Johannes explained that the elections committee is the prerogative of the BSA national executive committee, as stipulated in the constitution and clubs have limited powers on it. Meanwhile, Johannes said the vetting process will be done by the AGM, which is the ultimate body that can validate or invalidate one’s nomination.