Kutlwano Ladies Volleyball team’s appeal to get a ruling declaring their star player Tracy Chaba overturned has been thrown out the window.
This now means the “Big House” will lose some vital points to Ramotswa-based rivals Dynamites Volleyball Club, who had initially lodge the complaint.
Dynamites protested to the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) in May after losing 3-0 to Kutlwano in a Mascom Volleyball League game that was played at the Lobatse Sports Complex indoor facility over the use of Chaba, who they claimed was not properly registered by the federation upon her return from Egyptian giants Zamalek after a short stint.
The matter was then heard by the BVF Games Organising Committee, which then ruled in Dynamites’ favour, declaring Chaba a defaulter.
However, “Big House” did not take the matter lying down as they launched an appeal in an attempt to reverse the ruling.
In their appeal Kutlwano argued that during the first hearing, article 10.1.7(3) of the BVF and FIVB play rules and regulations was not adhered to as the Dynamites captain during the Lobatse game on May 21 was not the one who attended the hearing.
They also argued that they were not aware of the player’s status as they believed she was a free agent. They said they were of the view that they had followed the right procedure when they played her. This did not hold water with BVF who threw out their appeal
“Kutlwano Volleyball Club is found guilty to have used a defaulter as the game was played before Chaba’s playing status was normalised and the team is then charged as per section 5.4.1 which reads thus: “Only players registered with the federation and in possession of a valid registration book will participate in the federation competitions. A club found using an unregistered player shall lose the match in straight sets and pay a fine of P500.”
It was also ordered that Dynamites be deemed 3-0 winners of the match and shall this will reflect in future league log standings.
After being defeated 3-2 by Dynamites last weekend, the loss of the appeal will now seriously affect Kutlwano’s title hopes.
Commenting on the verdict, Dynamites coach Joe Brown Tlhaselo said they were happy that justice had finally been done and that the right measures were taken against Kutlwano.
“When we protested, we were widely accused of being spiteful and jealous of both Tracy and Kutlwano’s success. The judgment is out now and we have been vindicated,” Tlhaselo said.
“We only wanted to ensure fair play on the field and we are glad the BVF has shown to have teeth and ensured the rule of law is observed. The awarding of points is a morale boosting feat for the team because it ensures that we accumulate points that will make us finish in a better position than we would otherwise have done. We are excited that this season we have taken six points off the champions after we beat them last weekend,” he said.
