08 Feb 2024

Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture’s 2024/25 proposed ministerial budget of P1.06 billion, an increase of P887 million pula has brought a ray of hope to the sporting fraternity.

This increase has brought excitement and hope, particularly the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC), who are the custodian of sports in the country.

Delivering a budget speech on Monday, Minister of Finance Peggy Serame indicated that this was a 19.4 percent increment from the 2023/24 allocated budget.

BNSC board chairperson, Marumo Morule, said these was an exciting time for sport.

He said that alone meant that there would have an increased grant for facilities maintenance and upgrade, as well as new initiatives that would transform sport outlook in the country and prepare athletes for world stage.

Furthermore, he said the budget increment provided an opportunity for the commission to realise some of their aspirations.

In recent times, he said BNSC had shown interest in becoming part of the world stage by hosting regional and international competitions, an initiative inspired by government’s transformation agenda.

He said there were plans to transform the organisation and this provided a good position for the commission to gain traction in becoming self-reliant and sustainable.

This year’s budget has also seen a significant increase of 317 percent in the sport development fund.

BNSC chief executive officer Tuelo Serufho said he was of the view that the fund activated possibilities to plans that existed within the commission’s growth strategy.

Furthermore, he said while sport development was paramount and key to all National Sport Associations, there were other key aspects that would enable the sport development and that some of these may have to be prioritised.

He however said excitement within the sport fraternity should not suddenly cause misalignment in plans and strategies which had been set ahead by the Commission and NSAs themselves.

“The 317 per cent is a great increase for sport, and we are happy to receive that, however, I would like to remind sport administrators that there are plans in place to propel and grow the sporting industry in the country. We will work closely with stakeholders to manage this fund and channel it to growth strategies accordingly,” he said.

In that regard, Serufho said their aim would be to improve grassroots development, invest in initiatives that would bring mid-long term benefits to the industry and partake in positioning Botswana as a favourite in hosting international competitions, which in turn will benefit local athletes.

“While this budget allows for improved service provision and provides possibilities for growth, it is also evident that there is still more that can be done to promote sport in Botswana. There are issues within professionalising and commercialising certain codes in the country.” he said. Ends