Buoyed by the unwavering performance and commitment of Botswana Chess Federation, Metropolitan Life Botswana last week announced a P60 000 windfall as sponsorship of the BCF’s national championships.
Metropolitan Life Botswana which will be sponsoring the chess championship for the fourth year since its inception, announced that they have increased their sponsorship by P20 000 to make it a whooping P60 000 this year. Metropolitan Life’s Retail Marketing Consultant Tebogo Toteng said that the sponsorship strengthens their partnership with BCF.
“The BCF Executive committee has demonstrated unwavering commitment in the pursuit of their objectives. They have demonstrated that they are a worthy partner with a clear goal path,” he said. He also said that such a commitment deserves attention, and the marriage between BCF and Metropolitan is the end product of their mutual sense of commitment.
Toteng further said that there is a place for chess in both the social and economic aspects of people’s lives.
He also reiterated Metropolitan’s commitment to supporting sports in Botswana.
“Metropolitan’s association with sports is a deliberate step driven by our conviction that it is the role of every corporate citizen to assist the community. Therefore to us supporting sports is a responsibility that we have vowed to shoulder,” he said.
“We have talked over the years about the importance of sports; that sports provides economic avenue, it is a solution to social ills; it keeps juvenile delinquents out of the streets. We must now shift into an era where long term partnerships between sports bodies and private companies become of essence because that will ensure tangible and sustainable progress in sports development,” he said.
In addition, Toteng said that the sponsorship will also enable BCF to unearth young talent at the right time and assist in channeling them into junior and national teams.
“That way we are rest assured that when the cream of today retires they will have capable queens and kings to replace them. The young talents are the pawns that we are supposed to move towards the future,” he added.
When giving a keynote address, the President of Africa Chess Union said that the launch of the 2010 National Chess Championship is living proof that both parties derive optimum benefit from the championships.
“Return on investments to sports is not immediately visible but spending and partnering is worthwhile,” he said. He urged the federation to get their fundamentals straight to avoid failure. On the other hand, BCF President Tshepo Sitale noted that the continued partnership with Metropolitan is proof that they are developing.
The 2nd qualifiers round of the 4th Metropolitan Life Botswana Chess Championships will continue this weekend in Francistown where 24 men will be battling it out for the top 10, and 18 women for the top 10 positions.
