Same energy needed in other sports, Minister!

Mqondisi Dube | Wednesday September 25, 2024 12:52

The previous administration had become a thorn in Rakgare's flesh and gave him a torrid time. There were moments when he appeared to be losing the war but the change which ushered in Tariq Babitseng came as a huge sigh of relief for Rakgare. It is in the public domain that Rakgare would have preferred Masego Ntshingane as president with the likes of Phazha Butale in the national executive committee at Lekidi, but he obviously sees Tariq as a better devil than Maclean Letshwiti. This was evident when Babitseng had already walked through the minister's door, barely 48 hours after his election.

A hastily arranged press briefing soon followed in a clear show of solidarity between the two. But while mending relations with the leadership of the country's most followed sport should be top of Rakgare's priorities, he must not forget that there are dozen other codes out there that need similar attention. While football was changing its head, it was business as usual at another problem child, karate. The karate problems have rumbled on for much of the past two years, but little attention has been paid by authorities. It would be refreshing to see Rakgare put as much energy, and a public show in reigning in all the errant codes. It is not just football. It is only that football is constantly under 24 hour public surveillance. But sport across is suffering from leadership or rather, governance issues. Almost all 40 codes under the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) have this or that challenge.

Only that most of these codes are not attractive enough for authorities at the sports ministry to deserve attention. But they do. Solving problems at football could mean scoring political points, but other codes need the minister as well. The same vigour or verve that Rakgare has publicly chastised football leaders must carried through other disciplines, starting with karate as a matter of urgency. But we know that it is not fashionable for the minister to do so. It doesn't carry much gravitas to call out karate as compared to football. But it is still important. The challenges that face most sport codes point to some anomaly that needs to be addressed from the BNSC's end.

There is so much bickering that I doubt if it is about individual clashes. It probably points to an institutional problem. This needs to be investigated sooner. What is really the source of so much hatred and fights, that it gets so personal? What is in there for these supposed volunteers? Others even go to court using their hard earned cash to cling on to positions? The public deserves to know what these people are 'eating' that makes them want to appear indispensable.