- Selebi-Phikwe to become the first talent centre in the North
- But BoBA says its efforts are hampered by financial constraints
Gazette Reporter
Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) will launch its first-ever Re Ba Bona programme in the northern part of the country next weekend.
The programme has so far spread across the Southern part where BOKA has centres in the Gantsi, Lobatse and Molepolole in an effort to refine talent.
The Publicity Secretary BoBA, Moitshephi Nkabiti, has told Gazette Sports that they will launch the most sought-after programme in Selebi-Phikwe as the first centre in the North.
Festival
“We held a Re Ba Bona Ha festival early this year in Molepolole and we indicated that this was for tracking these kids,” said Nkabiti, noting that coaches have been undergoing training.
He said the Re Ba Bona Ha programme has started to bear fruit in the South, hence the motivating to launch it in the north for more early talent identification.
Nkabiti noted that several countries have long established talent scouting agencies to help develop athletes.
“Re Ba Bona Ha is one programme which, if fully implemented across the country, will enable at some stage us to marvel at the talent that we would have earlier identified,” he said. “Our school of excellence in Mogoditshane is doing quite well too.”
Meanwhile, BoBA’s financial constraints are so serious that coaches are still working as volunteers and receive no remuneration. “We are always told that there are no funds and makes our efforts difficult,” Nkabiti said.
Funding system
Under BNSC’s high impact funding system which called for the categorization of National Sporting Associations (NSAs) as per Appendix 1 for the purpose of funding in the 2021/2022 financial year.
Of the funds available for direct allocations to NSAs, 56% has been allocated to High Impact sports that are six (6) in number, 32%, 10% and 2% to middle high, middle and low impact sports that are 17,12 and 4 respectively in number.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of BNSC, Tuelo Serufho, the funding system was motivated by a need to see sports contribute more to growth of the economy.
“We are aware that it takes a lot of investment to get results even at an international level, and we are not at that level of investment,” he said. “This leads to the same results and what we call a hit-or-miss situation.”