The 10 kilometers hiking route started at Extension Gunners ground, passed next to Samora Machel museum all the way to Peleng dam before the hikers could tackle the rough terrain of Peleng hills.
The lead hiker and also organiser of the event, Tebogo Kobang told Sport Monitor that as a gender activist, they partnered with Zodiac Collabo to make an awareness campaign. “We also wanted to find ways to attract more girls to be involved in football. There is a lot of talent out there and the only thing needed is encouragement and to make girls to believe in themselves that they can make something for themselves in football. So, the event is also meant to raise funds for Zodiac Collabo girls,” he said.
Kobang also said they received massive support from Blue Crystal Sugar company which was instrumental with financial assistance especially when paying service providers. He said the walk came a week after the Desert Bush Walk and it was exciting to see some of the hikers who were in Jwaneng. “Lobatse is a historic town, there are many landmarks here that we want to showcase. Remember that former Mozambique president, Samora Machel and former South African president, Nelson Mandela were in exile here. When this country gained independence, this where the Union Jack was brought down,” he said. Kobang stated that the event was on its fourth year and they even had some hikers from nearby places such as Mafikeng. He said the route was more challenging and it keeps changing each year.
Zodiac Collabo girls player, Unami Mawa said her club won the Southern regional league and qualified for the DTCB women’s tournament that was played in Gaborone. She said unfortunately they failed to progress to the second round of the tournament. “This walk is a success and I was impressed by the attendance. We are looking forward to getting more resources for our club. The support was much better this time around because running a football team does not come cheap,” she said.
