11 May 2022

Botswana Tertiary Sports Association (BOTESSA) and Botswana Basketball Association (BBA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will pave way for basketball at tertiary institutions.

Speaking at the MoU signing  BBA president, Boineelo Hardy, said the collaboration between the two institutions would ensure that basketball was played at tertiary level.She said before school sport was stopped, basketball was active in 32 high schools, which had both boys and girls teams.

Hardy wondered as to what happened to the rest of the 760 pupils who played basketball at high schools if only 10 to 20 could  be absorbed into the league.

“Now a basketball player from high school admitted at any brigade or university should be able to continue to play the sport they love, which is basketball and we are happy that will be done and thanks to the MoU,” she said.

She explained that BBA’s role would be that of technical partner, adding that their obligations were to create a synergy and assimilate some of the coaches for junior national teams from BOTESSA.

Hardy said BBA would engage officials and athletes in different areas of specialty from club level and regions to work with BOTESSA. BOTESSA president, Keorapetse Setlhare, said the organisation enetered into the agreement to address all the grey areas in sport.

“As BOTESSA, we found it prudent to have strategic partnerships particularly the codes where we really feel there is a big gap and basketball is one of the codes facing many challenges. There is shortage of officials, no activity on the ground and no interest from our affiliated members,” he said.

Setlhare said basketball was one of the codes that were not doing well, adding that BOTESSA had to take responsibility because it had to feed the elite league and national team. He said one of the initiatives they would like to start at the ground breaking exercise was 3x3 basketball which would be a build-up for teams in their respective institutions. ENDS