12 Dec 2024

The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) president says sports leaders have a collective responsibility to advocate for the reinstatement and revitalisation of school sport.

Speaking during the BNOC assembly on Tuesday, Botsang Tshenyego said denying children access to sports has deprived them not just physical activity, but critical developmental opportunities and life skills.

He said the Olympic movement believes that sport is a human right, therefore he said the collapse of school sport is a pressing concern.

On Botswana’s performance during the Paris Olympic Games, he said 2024 was a turning point for Botswana as they advanced toward what they called their second golden decade, a legacy that began with Amantle Montsho’s historic 400m gold in Daegu, Korea in 2011.

 “The culmination of these efforts came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where our athletes delivered an awe-inspiring performance, bringing home gold and silver medals,” he said. 

Tshenyego said the unprecedented achievement stood as a beacon of what was possible when talent, resilience, and institutional support aligned seamlessly. 

“We also celebrate ground-breaking achievements at Paris 2024, where two of our officials, a first for Botswana, officiated in basketball and tennis. 

Even more significant is that both were women, a testament to our ongoing commitment to gender equality in sports,” he said. 

He further said physical abuse and gender based violence were prevalent in sport throughout the world adding that as sport they called upon ‘each one of us to be each other’s keeper’.

Also, he said the IOC through the Olympism 365, the Olympic Solidarity was looking for partnerships for more deliberate and sustainable safe sport practice and safeguarding.

 “You may be aware that work is already ongoing to establish the Safeguarding Hub in ANOCA Zone 6 as a pilot programme to be replicated globally once successful,” he said. 

Tshenyego said a feasibility study was being conducted in partnership with AUSC 5 and the inception report was due next September. Ends