15 Jan 2023

Plans to resuscitate national games are ongoing with the view to hold them before end of this  year.  

Since inception in 2007, the games were held after every two years, with the last staging in 2019.  

Dubbed Botswana Games, the competition involved 2 500 athletes under 19 years competing in 14 sport disciplines.

Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC), chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho confirmed that Botswana Games would return this year.

“They will of course be modified from how we have known them in the past. Amongst other things to be looked into will be age group for athletes and the sporting codes will be reviewed to ensure that the games do not only align to the AUSC Region 5 Games, but also with other international games such as the African, Commonwealth and Olympic Games”

Serufho said games for the different codes would not be held simultaneously. He said the intention was to have team sports happen at a different time to individual sports, akin to what BISA used to do. He asserted that the anticipated change would ease on the logistics.

Furthermore, he said the new format of the Botswana Games would now be held annually and would involve both school going and out of school athletes, provided they meet the age categories.

Botswana Boxing Association (BOBA) secretary general, Taolo Tlouetsile, said he was happy with the anticipated return of the games given that the suspension of school sports had also dealt Botswana sport a great blow.

Although he was not privy to the modalities that would be used in the coming edition, Tlouetsile said inclusion of out of school athletes within the prescribed age category would be a welcome development. ENDS