The Debswana First Division League teams and players will have to wait a little longer to kick a ball in anger.
This follows the indefinite suspension of the league due to hiccups in authorizing grants, completing payments and logistics. The league was supposed to start in both the north and south sides this previous weekend.
According to the Secretary General Rapula Gaothobogwe, both the North and South first division teams have not started the league as all 24 clubs have not been granted the money that is needed to pay the expenses and sustain the teams’ status. He explained that both divisions North and South cannot start the league without the availability of money otherwise there will not experience a good flow of event.
“The teams were supposed to find money before the league commenced but due to unavailability of funds and logistics the league could not start. We were hoping that we could bring our stakeholders together so that so we can finalise the requests and the league starts,” he said. Gaothobogwe added that they made a request for the grant but an audit from the Debswana side delayed the payment process.
According to Gaothobogwe, due to the current liabilities that the First Division is facing, they are also yet to hear from first division official broadcasters Baboneng film Production. He however said everything will soon take its form and shape and the league will eventually kick off.
The local production company was awarded the rights to broadcast the First Division Games for the first time in history of local football in a deal that would see it pay at least P9 million to the first division over a period of 5 years.
As per the broadcast deal, Baboneng is expected to pay P1,5 million to the BFA for this season’s first division broadcast rights. They will then pay the same amount for their second season but will pay P2 million each season for the remaining three (3) of the five (5) agreed seasons.
The games are expected to be broadcast on television and radio through Maru Tv ,Now Tv and Duma Fm for both the 12 teams in the North and South Division.
As it looks the league cannot start this month because the players will have to take a break for the upcoming independence holiday and resume back after .The league is expected to start on the 6th of October next month.
