2024: From the fields to the boardrooms
Calistus Kolantsho - Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday December 21, 2024 06:00
Football It was a great year as the country’s most popular sport enjoyed rare success. The performance on the field was matched by the successes off-field as football was showered with sponsorship notably, the elite league. However, boardroom squabbles surged once again. Meanwhile, there is a breath of fresh air amongst the football circles following the September 13 national executive committee elections that ushered in new president, Tariq Babitseng. He ended Maclean Letshwiti’s two-term reign at the national congress held in Palapye.
Achievements After more than a decade, the Zebras managed to qualify for the AFCON finals and only for the second time in the team’s history. It was a tough journey after the opening two games of the qualifiers but things turned out well following the home and away wins over Cape Verde. The departure of French coach, Didier Gomes Da Rosa would not affect the team as interim, Morena Ramoreboli managed two draws at home against Mauritania and away to Egypt to secure a berth amongst the final 24 teams. It was a moment to savour for local football as for the first time, Botswana will have both senior national football teams in the continental tournaments. The Mares are in action at the 2025 WAFCON in winter whilst the Zebras return to Africa’s elite tournament in December. The Premier League sponsorship was a huge relief for the football fraternity after the elite league laboured through a number of seasons without a title sponsor. In February, a Valentine's week, commercial bank, First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) showered the Premier League with love by announcing a three-year sponsorship of P9.5 million per season. The FNB Premiership deal began in the current 2024–2025 season. FNB Botswana also announced a P4.5 million annual sponsorship for the Mares over three years. This brings the deal for the women's national team to P13.5 million. The funds are to assist the Mares amongst other things to prepare for the 2025 WAFCON that kicks off in Morocco in the coming winter. Along the Premiership deal, FNB Botswana has poured a total of P28.5 million for the league and the Mares’ football activities.
Challenges Despite being on the receiving side of the sponsorship, football faces the task of renewing the existing partnerships. The national FA Cup sponsorship with Orange Botswana is on its final year of a six-year long partnership, however, there is anticipation around football circles that it will be renewed. The DTCB partnership with the women’s game is also nearing its end and with the national first division league expected in 2025, the deal would be a positive addition to the women’s league. The men’s First Division League is currently running without a title sponsor, a move that is heavily impacting on the second-tier clubs that have always been evaded by potential partners and sponsors.
Football this year also witnessed unending fights under the previous administration led by then-president, Maclean Letshwiti. This year alone, the BFA had slapped suspensions on former Masitaoka chairperson, Godfrey Ratlhaga and Lame Makache of Matebele FC for their involvement in the Botswana Football League (BFL) leadership wars. The duo was part of a group of shareholders’ representatives who closed the BFL offices and forced staff at the secretariat to go on a three-day leave at the end of February. Then, the BFA’s Emergency Committee considered suspending two BFL officials involved in the coup that ousted former BFL chairperson, Nicholas Zakhem and Jagdish Shah, who served in the BFL executive committee. Former BFA president, Tebogo Sebego, was also slapped with suspension for allegedly bringing the game into disrepute. However, the BFA’s Disciplinary and Appeals committees both cleared Sebego of the charges. New BFA president, Tariq Babitseng rescinded all the suspensions, except for cases being handled by the police. Babitseng withdrew all the matters between the association and its former partners from the courts of law.
Table Tennis This is one of the fast-growing codes in the local sporting fraternity. Table tennis once again made much bigger strides in 2024, asserting itself amongst the big players.
Achievements Through the Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) forever improving standing with the Sports Commission, table tennis was elevated to a top-tier sporting code. This means ping-pong will now have increased funding for their loaded backpack of activities. This year, BTTA became host to a number of regional tournaments. The highlight was in winter when BTTA welcomed African junior players to local shores. It was the first time Botswana hosted a continental table tennis showpiece and it turned into a great success. BTTA had hosted the ITTF Africa Hopes and Challenge Week and ITTF Africa Youth Championship in July. The 2024 ITTF Africa Youth Championship had attracted the largest number of competing nations in the tournament's history, setting a new world record. The 21st edition of the competition's epicentre was the Botho University Multi-Purpose Hall.
The competition, initially launched in 2003 as the ITTF Africa Junior Table Tennis Championship, featured only the Under-18 category until 2019. In 2021, it was renamed the ITTF Africa Youth Championship, expanding to include the Under-15 and Under-19 age groups. This year’s edition, hosted in Gaborone, has been historic for Botswana, setting a new benchmark for participation. The event attracted 18 countries and 118 athletes, eclipsing the previous edition in Uganda, which featured 11 nations. Botswana's achievement also surpasses Rwanda’s earlier record of hosting 11 countries, marking a milestone in the championship's history.
This month, the BTTA hosted four high-profile international tournaments at Babusi Multi-Purpose Hall. The four tournaments featured different age groups as the BTTA shut down what was a good year for the code. The four tournaments were the annual Phoenix Assurance Botswana International, the Commonwealth Under-13, Under-15 Regional tournament, and the Phoenix Assurance Botswana Under-13 International tournament. The BTTA hosted 100 participants in the capital city over the duration of the four competitions.
Challenges Diteemane were forced to send a single representative at the Africa Senior Championship held in Ethiopia due to lack of funds. Sean Dekop as a lone sailor was knocked out in the first rounds of the singles and could not go beyond the second round of the doubles competition. The junior teams also on home soil put a performance sore to the eye in the ITTF Africa Youth Championship. The team made an impression after winning a bronze medal in the Under-19 women's team events. The medal was the only one for the local team as Junior Diteemane finished seventh from 17 participating nations. Former top-ranked junior male, Reneilwe Lekorwe, however, managed to reach the round of 16 of the competition replacing Tshepiso Rebatenne as the best-performing table tennis player in continental tournaments. Three athletes had advanced to the knockout round of the competition making it the highest number ever recorded by any age group in the Diteemane squads. The Under-15 girls' duo of Lillian Tsiaka and Rethabile Motsamai, alongside Lekorwe, reached the knockout rounds.
Motorsport
Achievements Top biker, Ross Branch carried the motorsport torch across the year 2024. He started the year off by becoming the first African to attain a podium finish at the Dakar Rally. Branch finished second in the world’s gruelling race and an opener of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. The local biker went on to claim the World Championship, etching his name into history books by becoming the first African to achieve the feat. He was also named ‘Hero of the Year’ at the FIM Motorsport Awards held recently. A number of riders including Kosmas Mamaloukos also managed to secure top 10 finishes in club championships in South Africa. The local off-road and motocross championship proceeded without hiccups until the latter was disturbed by the scorching conditions, forcing the cancellation of the final round in July. The highlight of the year on local competitions would be the birth of the first car offroad racing competition. The Botswana Off-Road Racing Championship made its debut in June and held three more rounds closing its debut year with a four-round championship. BORRC is mulling a seven-round championship in 2025 and a return of the popular 1,000km Desert Race.
Challenges Funds have always disrupted motorsport participation this year. A number of riders could not finish the club championship in South Africa due to lack of funds. No local riders made it to the Motul Roof of Africa in Lesotho. Due to lack of funds, Botswana sent a sole rider at the Motocross of Africa Championship held in Morocco.
Athletics
Achievements The code continued to prove that they are a power to reckon with, as they continued to rake in medals from international competitions and qualifying the nation's largest team to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Athletics had sent a team of 11 athletes to the Olympics, where they attained two medals. Oratile Nowe became the first woman from Botswana to compete in 800m. Botswana for the first time fielded three men in 800m being Tshepiso Masalela, Ketlhobogile Hanguira, and Tumo Nkape. Victor Ntweng was the first athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games in the Hurdles event. The highest achievement in the men’s individual events was the 200m final where Letsile Tebogo achieved a gold medal followed by the men’s 4x400m silver medal. Tebogo and Masalela were also in the finals of 100m and 800m (both running personal bests) respectively whilst two of the 400m runners, Collen Kebinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori), narrowly missed the final (with Kebinatshipi running a personal best) by tying to position nine.
Challenges Boardroom politics continued to torment Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) leadership and its affiliates. At the last meeting, the board escaped a motion of no confidence by a whisker and has been given a chance to put their house in order or else they are gone. The affiliates complained about poor communication from the board, 2024 athletics season electronic timing way below expectation, conflict of interest between affiliates and the board over big events such as Botswana Golden Grand Prix and the FNBB Kazungula Bridge Marathon and clarity on sponsorships.
Tennis
Achievements Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) hosted a record of 10 International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments from African Junior Under-12 Championships to bringing back the Davis Cup after 17 years. The cup generated revenue of close to P2 million for accommodation facilities, transport sector and other businesses. Malak Macheng won back to back continental Under-14 tournaments, Ntungamili Raguin won two World ITF tournaments in Uganda and he is expected to play Grandslams next year. Gaone Poane officiated at the French Open and the finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Challenges Losing to Gabon in the finals of Davis Cup.
Bowling
Achievements The association hosted the 2024 African States Tournament (AST) in Orapa in September. The event gathered competitors from Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Team Botswana performed well, especially on the men’s side, winning silver medals in the Pairs and Triples, a Bronze in the Fours, and in the process winning overall silver behind South Africa, whilst the women’s side won a silver medal in the Triples discipline. In 2024, World Bowls launched a regional buddy system whereby the larger member nations provide support to the smaller or prospective member countries and assist in the areas of administration, marketing/communications, coaching, umpiring, and development/schools programme. Through the buddy system Botswana benefited from the financial support of World Bowls and Bowls South Africa in September 2024, when coaching and umpiring courses were staged prior to the AST in Orapa. Level One and Level Two coaching courses were delivered by Bowls South Africa (BSA) National Standing Committee for Coaching with support from Botswana’s national head coach, Baven Balendra. Eleven participants from Botswana and Zimbabwe attended the courses. The Umpires courses had twelve candidates, four were for Level two and eight for Level one, with nine from Botswana, and three from Zimbabwe.
Challenges Bowls is on an upward trajectory, but sponsorship remains a challenge. Botswana Bowling Association is currently in tier two with an intention of being promoted to tier one. The code is also pushing to recruit more players to join the sport.
Volleyball
Achievements The Federation managed to host its Annual General Meeting (AGM) after it was initially postponed for failing to form a quorum. The AGM was later reconvened in April. Volleyball hosted Howard University, which was a benefit of the partnership that they have with Bring it On Promotions. The visit included coaching clinics, training with the national team and a tournament. Volleyball was able to bring back the national league which is sponsored by Ministry of Sport and Arts through the Botswana National Sport Commission. At the CAVB congress, former Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) president, Daniel Molaodi was retained as FIVB Board member. He has also been elected as FIVB executive vice president. The incumbent president, Tsoseletso Magang has been added into the development committee. BVF hosted a successful CAVB Zone VI Senior Club Championships although they struggled financially. Some local teams such as Prisons VI and players from other teams made their debut on the regional tournament. Botswana last hosted Zone VI in 2013.
Challenges: Playing the national league without prize money. Volleyball was rocked by the resignations of marketing officer and vice president-Beach Volleyball from the executive committee. The two officers have been replaced.
Rugby
Achievements Botswana was able to send the men’s senior national team to a continental competition at the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup Repêchage B Tournament in Casablanca, Morocco after six years. The team suffered a heavy defeat of 64-0 at the hands of Morocco. However, The Vultures managed to overcome Cameroon 36-10 but missed out to qualify for the 2025 Rugby Africa in Ugandan capital, Kampala. One of the most decorated women referees, Naledi Chabe officiated in the men’s league semi-final in Zambia. The board is currently working the Strategic Plan and Constitution which are expected to be adopted in the February AGM.
Challenges The men and women national 7s teams did not compete in continental competitions this year. The league was played without prize money, with few women's clubs and Botswana Rugby Union struggling to increase their numbers. Rugby does not have development league which is killing their development efforts.
Swimming
Achievements The biggest one was to send two swimmers, Adrian Robinson and Maxine Egner, to the Paris 2024 Olympics. These athletes were also debutants at the Olympic games after qualifying through universality placement. Both did not advance to the next round as they all ended in the heats stage. There was amazing swims overall from swimmers who, through challenging weather managed to register new PBs. The national team had a good time at the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Swimming and Open Water Championships bringing medals and went straight to the National Championships. Swimming was fortunate to receive sponsorship from different companies notably Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB). There has been an increase in the number of swimmers this year and the sport has seen growth, one team that is doing well in terms of participation is BDF Dolphins.
Challenges The weather was extremely hot, swimmers and officials had to push through challenging conditions.
Boxing
Achievements There was growth in terms of affiliates, with the resurrection of clubs like Thebephatshwa (TAB) and Mining Giants amongst others. The association managed to host two coaching clinics that is the national level Star One. The National Championships was a success.
Challenges Boxing does not know where its future is heading due to the war between International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Boxing Association (IBA). As it stands, boxing is no longer recognised by IOC. The code was demoted to tier two which affected its plans, leading to some tournaments being cancelled.
Softball
Achievements Tirelo Mukokomani was elected softball president, succeeding Katlholo Mosimanegape who served from 2021–2024. The national league received funding from BNSC and clubs were issued with grants to enable them to prepare for the league. The association launched re-launched Re Ba Bona Ha in November at the National Diamond. Botswana Softball Association founder, Andrew Mokoto was inducted into the WBSC and BNSC Hall of Fame. The association also launched Baseball 5.
Challenges Sponsorship continued to elude softball leading to the flagship Easter and Independence tournaments not being played.
Chess
Achievements The association sent a team to the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. The team comprised young players and the highest-rated local players, International Master Providence Oatlhotse. BCF fulfilled 80% of their scheduled events and ensured participation in both continental and global competitions. The partnership between BCF and Metropolitan Botswana as the company continued to sponsor the National Championship.
Challenges A motion of no confidence was passed against BCF executive committee in January. One of the concerns raised by clubs was the national team selection criteria used by the executive committee. Lack of sponsorship hurt the Federation as they faced challenges in securing funds for the league and major tournaments such as Botswana Open.
Netball
Achievements The association organised the LUCARA league featuring both men and women senior teams, the first round was played last year, with second round and finals played in 2024. The league served as a premier competition platform for senior players, fostering talent development and enhancing the competitiveness of netball at a national level. Botswana Netball Association (BONA) introduced the Under-21 tournament sponsored by BNSC, a cornerstone initiative for nurturing young talent. The association prioritised gender equality by training and workshopping women match officials, technical officials, and young team managers.
Challenges BONA members passed a motion of no confidence against former president Malebo Raditladi-Nkgakile, public relations officer Mokeresete Mokeresete, vice president-projects and event Seipei Gaelesiwe, and sport development officer (SDO) Masego Serumola. The secretary-general, Thulaganyo Retshabile, has been suspended for three years over non-performance. For the first time in history of netball, the senior team failed to attend Africa Netball Cup that was hosted in Namibia due to financial constraints. The setback hindered the team’s opportunity to gain international exposure and experience, which is critical for advancing the standard of netball in the country. The association failed to host the league and Fast 5 Netball Cup. Financial constraints remained the biggest challenge for the association in 2024, limiting its ability to fully implement planned activities and participate in international competitions.
Karate
Achievements Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) sent a team to the AUSC Region 5 Karate Championships in Namibia finishing in position three overall. Karate women's team won two medals (bronze) at the 13th African Games in Ghana, qualifying for Karate World Cup. The association also sent a team to the Commonwealth Karate Championships in Durban where they won one gold medal, three silver and nine bronze medals finishing in position five. The long anticipated BOKA Dojo was finally opened in April after years of delays and controversies.
Challenges Karate was funded with around P300,000 this financial year, only for the funds to be spent on debts. One of the debts was paying WKF affiliation that stood at $9,000 but they managed to negotiate down to $5,000. The association failed to bring international instructors for training camps, only a few affiliates managed to invite international instructors. BOKA also lost the rights to host the 2025 African Karate Federation (UFAK) Region South Karate Championships. BOKA committee was marred in legal battle with the previous committee, led by Tshepo Bathai, including against the former secretary general, Tshepang Dick who was slapped with suspension. The former PRO, Keopetse Dube is also serving suspension. Despite the challenge they dealt with, Mpho Bakwadi survived a motion of no confidence that was passed against him and his executive committee during an AGM in September.
Basketball
Achievements There has been increasing interest in the sport and participation of the youth in basketball. The sport also grew the number of fans, followership, and community involvement. Basketball also saw emerging funding for coaching and improved 3x3 rankings. The code ushered in new leadership led by Mothusi Thipe following Boineelo Hardy stepping down after serving two terms.
Challenges Basketball is struggling with infrastructure where they can play their games and training. Just like other sporting codes, basketball felt the pinch of lack of sponsorship. There is also shortage of qualified coaches for player development.