Pointing to its partnership with the BAA and as a model, PASSOBO says there is enormous untapped potential for Paralympic sports in Botswana’s 98 000 people living with disabilities that needs direct involvement of NSAs to bring out
TLOTLO KEBINAKGABO
The Paralympics Association of Botswana (PASSOBO) is calling on National Sports Associations (NSAs) across the country to step up and support development of para-sports.
The organisation, which serves as the umbrella body for all sports involving people with disabilities, says that without the direct involvement of NSAs, its efforts to grow the sector will continue to stall.
“We need them to support us with coaches, athletes and officials,” said the president of PASSOBO, Tshepho Mafereka, in a telephone interview. “We cannot manage to attract athletes from different NSAs alone.”
Paralympic Games
Mafereka pointed to the successful partnership between PASSOBO and the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) as a model. Thanks to the BAA’s inclusion of para-athletes in its competitions, Botswana has consistently been represented in athletics at the Paralympic Games.
“That is what we need from other sporting codes. Volleyball, basketball, and others should do the same,” Mafereka emphasised.
He cited a recent United Nations study that showed that Botswana is home to approximately 98,000 people living with disabilities, saying the figure represents enormous untapped potential for Paralympic sports in the country.
More diverse
“We need to attract people with different disabilities to join sports,” he said. “We can’t always send only visually impaired athletes to the Paralympics.”
Mafereka stressed the importance of broadening Botswana’s representation in Paralympic disciplines, especially in codes like wheelchair basketball and para-table tennis. His goal is to ensure a more diverse team for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
“This is what I will fight for with my committee over the next four years,” he said.
Eye on 2028
Mafereka noted that the most accessible and potentially high-impact sports for people with disabilities – such as wheelchair basketball and para-tennis – must receive greater focus.
His committee aims to create pathways for athletes in these codes, starting at the grassroots level. He called on NSAs to create inclusive policies and frameworks that ensure that para-athletes are not just an afterthought but an integral part of national sports planning.
“It’s the only way we can grow,” he said.