24 Jan 2022

Motorsport is ready to train volunteers to marshal the Khawa Dune Challenge.

Speaking during the Tsabong Region Botswana Sports Volunteers Movement (SVM) annual general meeting on Saturday, SVM national executive committee member, Kgotlaetsile Moube, urged volunteers to stand ready to participate in good numbers.

Moube said it was critical for volunteers to take their role seriously as it advanced sport development, adding that developed countries succeeded in hosting big events due to input from sport volunteers.

He called on stakeholders to get involved and for volunteers to get ready to grab the opportunity.

Moube lamented that volunteers were inactive and untrained in some regions.

“During the Khawa event we bring about 200 volunteers from Gaborone and get only 10 from Tsabong because we do not have trained volunteers here,” he stressed.

Moube said they were planning to train about 50 marshals before the end of April this year, who will be certified to draw motorsport routes at Khawa.

The SVM, which is a sub structure of Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC), works with volunteers from different professions.

Furthermore, Moube noted that there were only two sport volunteer movements in Africa, South Africa and Botswana; revealing that Botswana was ranked the best in the continent and was able to train volunteers in Lesotho recently and will move to train Malawi this year.

He said the grant from BNSC was not enough to sustain the movement, hence the need for relevant stakeholders, including the business community, to collectively assist through donations aimed at sport development.

For his part, Tsabong region SVM chairperson, Mr Motlatsi Leleleko said the Tsabong region comprised of Hukuntsi, Ghanzi and Tsabong sub regions, adding that Kgalagadi had been doing well over the years.

He however, said the outbreak of COVID-19 affected activities, which were planned for 2021/2022.

Leleleko then revealed that plans were underway to organise a district sports festival and an annual marathon, between August and September this year.

He said the marathon committee, which volunteered on Saturday, was expected to hit the ground running to seek donations and organise the event.

The elected committee members were: the incumbent chairperson, Motlatsi Leleleko, Mofenyi Ntau as vice chairperson, Bame Bogatsu as secretary, Kesego Kgaodi as treasurer, Gotewamang Ranthoakgale as public relations officer, as well as Maduo Kgaodi and Tumelo Tsheleku as additional members.

The committee will hold the fort until 2025. ENDS