Paris 2024 Summer Olympics may be two years away, but that has not stopped the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) from starting their preparations!
This past week, the BNOC announced that renowned sports administrator Oreeditse Marakakgoro will be team Botswana’s Chef de Mission (CdM) at the games.
As the CdM, Marakakgoro will be tasked with leading team Botswana as it seeks to do better than it has don before at the games. In its 40 years competing in the Olympics, the country has only managed 2 medals.
The first of those is a silver won by the then 18-year-old Nijel Amos at the London 2012 Olympics. The second is a bronze won by the senior men’s 4 X 400m relay team during last year’s delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In a press release announcing her appointment, the BNSC said Marakakgoro’s roles as the CdM will include ‘providing overall leadership to the team’ as well as ‘serving as the spokesperson for Team Botswana for the duration of the Games.’
She will also be tasked with ‘supporting and promoting Team Botswana by facilitating an environment conducive for optimal performance by athletes and teams.’
As one of the country’s renowned sports administrators, Marakakgoro boasts a very impressive CV. The 2020 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Women and Sport Awards continental (Africa) finalist is mostly renowned for her service to Botswana netball.
‘Ms. Marakakgoro has served in different capacities at Botswana Netball Association including, as Under-17 and Under-19 Botswana Netball National Team Coach at SCZA Games, and Africa Youth Games.
She has also served in different capacities at the Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) National Athletics Championships over the years. Ms. Marakakgoro is a member of the Women and Sports Botswana (WASBO) organisation whose mandate is to advocate for gender equality and equal opportunities for both men and women in all sectors of sport,’ BNOC wrote in its effusive endorsement of the CdM.
A teacher by profession, the Paris 2024 Olympics Team Botswana CdM is also known for her advocacy for women leadership in sports as well as for the girl child participation in sport.
Among her ever-burgeoning list of credentials, the Women’s Sport Leadership Academy (WSLA) graduate is also an author. Her book offering, which is entitled ‘Breaking Barriers… a woman in sport,’ was released in 2020. The book sought to guide ‘the girl child finding her feet in sports.’
The BNOC board is confident that given her extensive background and experience in sport in addition to her accolades, Marakakgoro is best placed to serve in this capacity as Head of Delegation for Team Botswana to Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
