The Botswana Post and the Netball World Youth Cup (NWYC) Gaborone 2017 Secretariat have sealed a partnership to produce a set of commemorative stamps to celebrate the country’s hosting of the prestigious tournament.
Under the partnership, which was sealed on February 17, the two agreed “to produce a collaborative stamp issue for the games in a traditional yet unique, ‘Themed Stamp Issue’.
The NWYC 2017 stamp is aimed at creating a legacy for Botswana as a country and the African continent. Botswana and the continent is hosting the event for the first time since the commencement of the competition in 1988.
The games are billed for July 8 to 16 and the NWYC 2017 stamp will be officially launched on May 19, to mark a 50-day count-down to the tournament.
According to the General Manager Customer Service and Philatelic Bureau at Botswana Post, Lebogang Bok, the stamps will come in four or six sets showing different incident of sports, which may be the logo, cup or players drawn on it.
Bok says the benefit of the stamp will not only be to celebrate, but also to create a legacy for the people of Botswana by marking a historic milestone and to be an ambassador of Botswana to the entire world.
On why they decided to offer stamp partnership other than money, Bok said that the stamp is a legacy that will go beyond money and will speak for this country in many years to come.
“It will forever remain in the history books of NWYC and INF. As for money, it comes and goes easily. Even when people depart to their countries they will be able to show that the stamps were from the first NWYC in Africa and in Botswana,” Bok said.
She reiterated that while the postal stamp began as a receipt for service, paid in advance which will then be supplied by the postal services when required, it has now revolved.
The stamp is said to have taken an added function of a messenger, celebrating historical events, carrying messages to promote social change and celebrating the culture and attractions of a country issuing the stamp.
The General Manager of NWYC 2017, Tebogo Kesupile, hailed the partnership as a “great honour”.
“The NWYC 2017 will come and go; for us as a country we need to create real touch points and legacy recollections we can share and reminisce over into the future. The NWYC2017 Stamp Issue provides us the perfect memento. We are really honoured and humbled by the gesture from Botswana Post.”
The Netball World Youth Cup 2017, which is a peak event for the International Netball Federation (INF), will see the best youth players from 20 countries converge in Botswana.
