11 Jun 2023

Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB) has re-committed to sponsor women football championship with P1.5 million every year for three years.

Speaking at the BFA-DTCB Women championship launch, DTCB corporate affairs manager, Macdonald Motsele said the sponsorship was in its second year with 2024 being the final year of the deal.

He said that was an indication that the company was doing its part to promote gender equality in sport.

Motsele said the company was playing its part in taking sport to the rural areas to ensure that the girl child had an opportunity to play football.

He said there had been some positives such as women football teams increasing  from 47 to 132 as well as the national team participating at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

BFA chief executive officer, Mfolo Mfolo, said the strategy of women football was under review and the intention was to invite stakeholders to have an input.

He said BFA also wanted the national team to qualify for the women world cup in 2025, adding partners such as DTCB were satisfying FIFA pillars, which talked of communicating and commercialising.

Mfolo said partners always came in handy as they gave a girl child an opportunity to play football.

He said the intention was to have a competitive league because strong teams meant strong national teams which would result in the country being able to export players.

A chance to export players, he said, would expose them to sophisticated infrastructure not available locally.

“If our players play in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Morocco or even in the second division in Spain, it would be a plus for us because when they come back they would be in a position to strengthen our national team,” said Mfolo.

He said another FIFA pillar talked about developing and growing the game, noting that he was happy that BFA head of women football, Tsholofelo Setlhoko would be addressing FIFA women’s football convention in Australia where she would talk about the strides that Botswana had made in women’s football.

Meanwhile, all the champions who won in the four blocks mini championships will all compete in the finals to be held July in Gaborone.  ENDS