President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi says the government would continue to develop grassroots sports in the country. He disclosed this when delivering his first state of the nation (SONA) address on Monday at Parliament.
The government has committed P50 million for the current financial year to build ten (10) community sport facilities, or mini stadia across the country. These will be basic sport facilities for youth recreation, and will consist of a boundary wall, an artificial turf soccer pitch and changing rooms with ablution facilities. The stadia will be built in Tonota, Mmadinare, Bobonong, Tutume, Kasane, Goodhope, Kanye, Rakops, Tsabong and Moshupa.
Though government is committed to building more stadia across the country, there have been concerns from sport leaders that the existing ones are under utilised. All the sporting complexes cater for Netball, Softball, basketball, Volleyball and football.
Premier league matches are played in some of these sporting complexes but the junior league cannot afford the use of facilities because they have proved to be unaffordable for them. Other codes rarely use the facilities.
The Botswana National Sport Commission through their vision 2028 is committed of improving the sporting structures so that many young people enroll in sport activities so that there can be a wide pool of athletes to select from when choosing national teams. The BNSC is aiming at winning 5 gold medals at the 2028 Olympics. Botswana has only won 1 silver medal in 800 metres through Nigel Amos since participating in the Olympic in 1980.
