06 Mar 2023

Nico United has been urged to diversify sources of income instead of solely relying on gate takings.

“Our commitment as an administration is to ensure that football is more than just kicking the ball. We urge Nico United to diversify its source of income from gate takings to strategic investment to ensure players’ welfare today ad after retirement,” said the Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture Tumiso Rakgare at the Nico United fund raising dinner in Selebi Phikwe recently.

Majombolo, as Nico are affectionately called by legion of fans, were promoted to the premier league after more than five years of playing in the first division.

Rakgare, therefore, challenged the team to take inspiration from the late Sam Sono, who professionalised football in Selebi Phikwe by diversifying from football to retailing sportswear, manufacturing, food processing and agribusiness thus improving the life of Satmos players and Selebi Phikwe residents.

“We need to change our mindset to contemporary development that football is just a beautiful game. It is more than that. It is an industry that needs investment for high socio-economic returns,” he said.

The presence and support of the business community at the fundraising dinner, he said, reflected commitment to diversifying the country’s economy into strategic sectors such as sports and recreation.

Furthermore, Rakgare urged the business community to support Botswana National Sport Commission’s grassroots development programme Re Ba Bona Ha, which was ongoing at Sam Sono Stadium.

He called for the excellent initiative to be extended to other parts of the town, particularly disadvantaged areas such as Botshabelo where stars like Thabo Mosielele were born and bred.

He urged the business community to sponsor the programme.

Rakgare shared on the country’s bid to host the AFCON 2027 together with Namibia, adding that the intention meant a lot to this country’s development of sports and recreation inclusive of the enormous opportunities of the tournament.

“BONA 27 is a lifetime opportunity to professionalise our football industry from infrastructure, administration, technical and economics of the beautiful game. Everyone will benefit should we win,” he said.

The patron of the team and also the Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Beauty Manake, thanked the main sponsors of the event Gambling Authority and others for coming on board to support Nico United on its endeavour to stay in the premier league.

For his part, Nico United’s secretary general, Gomolemo Rantong, thanked Manake for helping the team raise funds through the dinner.

He said Manake was in a better position to understand the team as she grew up in Selebi Phikwe and was abreast with challenges and opportunities that the town offered.

Rantong said though the team had been faced with financial difficulties since the closure of the BCL mine, it managed to survive without a sponsor. Ends