Men�s netball affiliates with BONA

Shingirai Madondo | Thursday January 9, 2014 15:07

 

BOMNA initially shunned BONA arguing that the Tebogo Lebotse-led association had shown little or no sincerity towards the growth of male netball in the country.

Non-affiliation with BONA meant that the Botswana National Sports Council (BNCS) and the Botswana National Olympic Committee could not approve BOMNA’s application for membership.

The two sports councils rejected BOMNA’s application on the basis that every sport code should be represented by an association.

Oscar David, interim chairperson of BOMNA, said they had decided to be an affiliate of BONA for the sake of progress and growth of men’s netball.

“We want the men’s netball to grow in the country,” David told Mmegi Sport. He said BOMNA had decided to affiliate with BONA in order to be recognised by sports mother bodies in the country. “The intention is to work hand in hand with BONA so that men’s netball spreads across the country, he said.

He added that there were a number of talented male students who play netball but were not afforded an opportunity to showcase their talent.

He said working with BONA would result in them coming up with a well planned league structure to give young male players a chance to shine.

Lebotse, BONA president and International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) regional director, said her association was more than ready to work with BOMNA.

She said men had played a significant role in the growth of netball in Botswana despite the game being a women’s sport. Meanwhile, Thunderbolts Netball Club (which is the pioneer of male netball in the country) hosted male netball teams from Zimbabwe and Zambia at the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Donga barracks in Francistown last month.

According to David, the idea was to increase interest in men’s netball in the country.  He said they were looking at more soldiers joining and forming netball clubs. Currently about 10 clubs have been registered and are ready to be affiliated with BONA.