Magang questioned the wisdom of sending even personal assistants to Ghana for the ongoing African Games yet during preparations, sport codes are often told there is no budget. She argues, when its game time, all of a sudden there is enough money to send even personal assistants to supposedly cheer the team on. If this really is the case, it should not be happening.
Yes, Magang has been in the BNSC board before and the argument is that she should have fought tooth and nail to stop the habit from within. However, in her response to a story carried in Friday’s Mmegi, Magang says she has always been consistent on the issue and we have no reason to doubt her until someone convincingly rebuts her statement. It will seem the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) has its priorities upside down on this one. You cannot employ a heavy top (officials) and light bottom (athletes) approach in a tournament that is essential is about the athletes.
The games cannot go on without the athletes, but they can do so without the officials. The athletes are the main meal. The officials must play their role before hand, that is provide the necessary resources during preparations. That will neutralise the need for officials to justify boarding the plane to Accra for essentially what turns out to be a paid holiday. What is the role of most officials during games other than those who provide essential support. Morale support is needed but not at the expense of the athlete’s preparations. The defence cannot be that it has been the norm over the years.
Clearly this is a warped approach and screams loudest for an urgent fix. How then does the BNSC explain claiming that there is no money, then turn around and fly personal assistants business class? The Commission even has the temerity to ignore economy class and go for the high end business class?
This we assume, as per Magang’s post, is what transpired as the Botswana team travelled to the African Games. There is a netball team that recently failed to participate in an international tournament under the pretext that there are no funds. What they probably needed was equivalent to two or three business class tickets to Ghana and back. Unless the BNSC tells the nation that these are complimentary tickets, officials get free accommodation and food. But from the look of it, the whole trip is funded from the coffers of the BNSC, including per diems, which could have otherwise been invested in the well being of athletes.
The whole arrangement has to be revised ASAP and the BNSC knows too well that it owes the nation an explanation. It is repugnant, more so coming from an organisation that should be the standards torch-bearer for every sport code. The other issue that needs urgent attention is the appointment of the BNSC board. The appointing authority, the Minister of Youth, Sport, Gender and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare, should act with speed. Its known well in advance that the board’s tenure has to be renewed, why then dilly-dally?
