BNOC is a representative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) while PASSOBO represents the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the country.
PASSOBO public relations officer, Lesley Baleseng told Mmegi Sport that when it comes to status and funding, they should be at the same level as BNOC to come up with good strategies for Para sport in Botswana. “As things stand, that is not happening or should I say that is far from happening. We are treated just like any other National Sport Associations (NSA) affiliated with the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC),” he said.
Baleseng said even when it comes to a budget proposal that they submit to BNSC, PASSOBO never gets what they want. He said BNSC decides what they should be given.
He said with such little subversion, they could never have enough money to assist Para sport athletes. Baleseng said Para sport athletes are not only visually impaired athletes, as most people assume, there are other many codes. Meanwhile, PASSOBO in conjunction with sport psychologist, Dr Kagiso Tlhabano-David organised a Para sport awareness day recently.
Baleseng said PASSOBO embraces and endorses the initiative by Tlhabano-David. “The initiative increases public knowledge about Para sport and possibilities in the Paralympic movement,” she said.
The Commonwealth Alumnus said people living with disability should be accommodated in sport. “We know the benefits of physical activity. Exercise is beneficial to emotional and psychological well-being. As psychologists when individuals are presented with depression one of the first things we recommend is that they start exercising because it has the same benefits as antidepressants,” she said.
Tlhabano-David said people living with disabilities are always isolated, they do not have the luxury of going out and that is depressing. She said there is a need to help them have a quality life. “Sport helps us to socialise, so they are not socialising. Already they are limited in terms of movement, being unable to communicate and already that is an isolated life,” she said.
Tlhabano-David said there should be equal opportunities for people with disabilities, it does not have to be the same but they have a variety that they can do. She said they could play sports competitively or recreationally. “We should give them an opportunity that they are represented. In the last Commonwealth Games, it was the first time that Para sport and mainstream sport shared the stage.
Unfortunately, Botswana was not represented,” she said. Tlhabano-David said when it comes to sport and performance, the challenges of confidence, managing pressure and fear of failure cut across. She said the degree of challenges differ, those in the mainstream have more competition time and have more people they train, while those in Para sport will be few. “Para athletes have few people they train with, prepare with, and compete with, the confidence level will be different. There is not much competition for them even locally,” Tlhabano-David said.
