The big switches take place just a few weeks before the CAVB Zone VI Senior Club Volleyball Championships, which Gaborone hosts. The transfers came as the first round of the league concluded. At the end of the first round, BDF VI leads the women’s standings with 29 points, whilst Police VI are top of the men's league with 37 points. The BVF had not released a full list of the transfers at press time, but clubs had concluded the deals. One of the most talented players, Tracy Chaba has left Kutlwano to join Spiking Stars and another decorated Kutlwano player, Tiroyaone Otimile, has retraced his steps back to Mahalapye based, Mag Stimela.
Otimele told MmegiSport that the move to Mag Stimela is fulfilling and an opportunity to play with his home boys to give back to a club that developed him. He also revealed that he received a better deal from the club but, nonetheless, it had always been a dream to play for the side before retiring. “It was great playing for The Big House, just normal challenges faced by all clubs. I have played for Kutlwano since 2014, then I joined Police VI and played in South Africa. I then came back again to rejoin Kutlwano. Well, regarding my expectations at Mag Stimela, there are some newly signed good players from Zimbabwe and some are from local clubs such as Police, UB Yaros amongst others. We are hoping to shock everyone at the Zone VI club championships next month. Other than that, I am happy to be playing back home,” Otimile said. Mag Stimela men’s coach, Maboka Cooksan Molefi, said they recruited Otimile for maturity and to boost other players' morale. He said they have also recruited Otlaatla ‘Snox’ Marumo, a setter from the Police because they have good attackers. “We needed some variations in our play and have a bit of elegance. We also signed a centre blocker, Thato Junior Masilo, because that is one position we have been limping in. We are not going to be a threat but good representation for Botswana volleyball standards at the upcoming Zone VI club championships,” Molefi said.
For her part, Chaba said it was not an easy decision to leave Kutlwano, but she needed a change of environment especially since she is about to retire. “My retirement is around the corner, so I wanted to be Tracy who can play outside Kutlwano in Botswana because I played outside Kutlwano in other countries. Even when I did that, I always came back to play for Kutlwano. So now I want something fresh, I want to play against Kutlwano, no hard feelings. Kutlwano will always be my home. Even when I left, I bid them farewell properly,” Chaba said. She said her new club is mostly made up of youngsters with potential and playing alongside her, not against her, might be all they need.
Meanwhile, the BVF vice president-administration, Ndibo Lebala, said the final list will be shared as soon as it is completed. He said it was agreed at the 2022 elective congress that the transfer fee should be changed from P500 to P1, 500. “From this figure, P300 is an administration fee, it goes into the BVF account, so clubs exchange (players) for P1, 200. We thought the fee was high but it shows that clubs can afford it and some are even suggesting it should be increased to P5, 000. The transfer list is long, which means clubs are managing,” Lebala said.
