01 Mar 2022

The  launch of  the Botswana’s first high performance centre (HPC) is a defining moment in the country's sports.

Officiating at the centre’s launch in Gaborone on Monday, Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe said, as a national comprehensive university,  UB was expected to be the country’s resource for bringing new concepts and perspectives.

Consequently, Dr Letsholathebe said it was a pleasure to witness beginning of the powerful bridge between UB’s accumulated knowledge and learning and the many aspirations of people who lovd sport. The minister stated that sports persons and scholars had one aspect in common; cultivating difficult skills and being dedicated to achieve results.

He said the policy and business of scientifically managed sports development grew out of hosting global events such as the Olympic Games.

“In the inclusive 1990s, many countries became chosen venues for such events and their own local sporting and sport administrative capabilities were supported by special purpose centres of excellence,” he said.

Dr Letsholathebe  explained that comprehensive sport development programmes and the entire sport value chain were incubated in host countries through secondments of mentors and coaches as well as application of scientific training through then-new biometrics measuring systems.

In this way, sports preparation and acceleration became a global industry and science almost as impactful as sports competitions themselves, the minister stated.

Dr Letsholathebe said sport development programmes had become a matter of national pride and a significant service industry as professional athletes and teams sought out well equipped training venues in countries with specific altitudes or climates.

 He explained that universities and bio economy research and development organisations had also stepped up to add their expert-value to the highly competitive sports preparation market.

“This leads us directly to Botswana’s bid, which you see the beginning of today, to offer the best of science and natural circumstances to those global athletes and their entourage of trainers who pursue a leading edge whenever it is offered,” the minister stated.

Dr Letsholathebe applauded the university for making ideas become the tangible goods and services presented at the event.

He also acknowledged the long hours of expert toil behind the scenes that brought to the nation the powerful spotlight of the sporting multiverse.

“UB has gone about developing this globally relevant offering during gruelling and punishing times, in the shadow of a pandemic that drove sport out of public life and turned it virtual and it will not be long before the sporting worlds recognise and embrace UB’s unique approach to its expectant stakeholders and markets,” the minister stated.

For his part, UB Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris said the HPC was the country’s first world class human performance facility that had produced world class athletes such as the men’s 4x4 Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalists.

Housed at the UB Campus Indoor Sports Centre, Prof Norris said the HPC was sufficiently equipped with modern facilities to conduct high-level tests for both local and international athletes.

“Overall, the HPC is a treasure trove for stakeholder opportunities in that there are ample opportunities for physiological and general fitness assessments, work related and sports specific fitness tests as well as psychological performance assessment,” he said.

He further stated that as part of the university’s strategy to assist the country to transform into a knowledge-based economy, the institution would award six athlete scholarships to the men’s 4x4 relay team that won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

He expressed that the institution would also offer scholarships to promising young athletes at secondary schools.

Meanwhile, Gaborone Central legislator, Tumisang Healy said he was convinced that UB and the sporting world would solve one of the most pressing problems in the country; skills development.

Healy said UB had broken a barrier separating knowledge of sport from doing sport and therefore the institution’s numerous disciplines would also become an integral part of globally competitive growth strategies once their value was discovered by sports sectors, through the HPC.

“Today I take great comfort that not only is Botswana embarking on a powerful way of engaging global markets but it is at the same time providing proof of the inevitability of work integrated learning,” he stated. ENDs