Building new sports facilities and improving existing infrastructure across codes is of the essence. Staff Writer TLOTLO KEBINAKGABO reports
The Ministry of Sports and Arts (MOSA) has pledged to refine operations at the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) in order to better support Olympic and lower-tier sports codes.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 2025/2026 Budget Speech, sports minister Jacob Kelebeng outlined key steps that the government is taking to address challenges in the sporting sector.
“The idea is to see how we can best help sporting codes that are part of the Olympics,” he said in an interview. “The intention is for sporting codes to be supported well, even those in the lower tiers of the BNSC funding model.”
Mass participation
In recent years, BNSC has adopted a model based on criteria derived from BNSC Vision 2028 and the broader National Vision 2036 for allocating funds to National Sporting Associations (NSAs).
The criteria focus on six key objectives: contribution of the sport to society, athlete performance, hosting high-profile events, increasing mass participation, fostering national pride, and creating social impact.
The first four criteria align with Vision 2028 while the latter two are drawn from Vision 2036.
Facilities at UB
Under this model, NSAs are funded according to how they score – the higher the score, the greater the funding. To strengthen support for sports development, Kelebeng highlighted his ministry’s engagement with the private sector.
He revealed that MOSA recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Botswana to grant lower-tier NSAs access to the institution’s facilities at reduced costs, or even for free.
“We want all sporting codes, even those in lower tiers, to have better access to facilities,” the minister said.
Private sector partnerships are also playing a role in refurbishing sports infrastructure across the country. “FNB is already refurbishing Maun Stadium,” Kelebeng disclosed. “We are in talks with other companies to help us develop sports facilities.”
Financial challenges
But despite the government’s efforts, financial challenges remain a concern. Minister Kelebeng acknowledged the constraints but assured that sports development remains a priority. “As a new government, we found the country facing financial challenges,” he said.
“But we will try our best to take care of our sports. Sometimes our problem is that we do not address the core – which is sports development. Our intention is to give BNSC the full support it needs.”
The minister emphasised that a revitalised sports sector is critical for national development and called on both public and private stakeholders to join the government in its efforts.