The Botswana Golf Union this week launched the Junior Development Coaching Clinic, a momentous programme that focuses on children of ages five to 17 years.
Speaking at the event held at the Gaborone Golf Club, the President of the Botswana Golf Union (BGU), Derrick Musa, stated that this would not have been a success without the support of the First National Bank who donated P500 000 to reach out to every kid. He said they started these trials in Gaborone so as to see how it progressed before they could spread it throughout the country, which is their intention.
“The reason for engaging kids as young as 5 years old is because we have realized that they can take instructions,” explained Musa. “This is a programme which we are planning to host annually.”
Furthermore, Musa pointed out that golf is not only about hitting a ball but is a life sport with important aspects.
Speaking on behalf of the First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB), the Strategic Marketing & Communication Officer, Bomolemo Selaledi, explained that at the FNB, their focus is to support sport development by identifying beneficiaries who are in need of deserving assistance. Given the popularity of golf in Botswana, Selaledi said by 2008 golf should be one of the leading sports codes locally.
In supporting the Youth Development Programme, Selaledi highlighted that FNBB will go a long way in setting a strong youth foundation development programme at grassroots level.
According to Selaledi, their involvement with the funding of the initiative will play a central role in the partnership. She said this would assist in keeping the programmes focused and ensure that maximum results for the programmes are achieved. Selaledi also expressed hope that existing coordinating mechanisms will be used to ensure that all agreed upon activities are implemented within the stipulated time frames.
Joseph Marudu who is BGU Development Organiser said they started this programme last year in August with only 23 kids, and by the end of the year they had 67 kids. “This year we decided to do it during every school holiday, which is three times in a year. We started with 43 kids. Second term we had about 69 kids and now we have 91 kids,” stated Marudu. He said indeed this is a very important clinic as it teaches children to grasp and learn how to play golf at an early age. “This is a very important sport which is not only played for fun but golf is also a source of employment,” he said.
