Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Shaw Kgathi says 84 players have graduated from Constituency tournaments to the mainstream league teams since its inception. Kgathi was answering a question in Parliament on Monday from Kanye North Legislator Kentse Rammidi who wanted to know the number of players who graduated from the Constituency tournaments.
The Kanye North Legislator also wanted to know about the total cost of the Constituency tournaments since inception. Rammidi asked about the sporting codes these players graduated to and the names of teams in the mainstream league that these players have joined.
Only three sporting codes are represented in the Constituency tournament with only two teams from Netball and five from volleyball, according to Kgathi. The most popular sport in Botswana, football, had 36 graduates. Kgathi said most of these teams are in the Second Division, with few in the Premier league, First, Third and Fourth divisions respectively. Kgathi said these tournaments cost tax payers P23 million per annum, covering both prize money and logistics. And the total cost of the tournaments since inception during the 2008/2009 financial year is P104 841 960.70, he said.
Two football teams have sponsored their players to study in different fields utilizing the prize money, according to Kgathi. Pejane Volleyball teams have also sponsored two players to study Carpentry and Electrical Installation in Kgatleng Brigade. In what many of his critics saw as “blowing of his own trumpet”, President Ian Khama hailed the importance of Constituency tournaments in the State of the Nation Address President saying they have experienced growth in participation. He said participation has grown from 28 476 at inception to 65 146 in July 2013.
However the tournaments have been receiving their share of criticism for the past five years as they are said to be President Khama’s pet projects. The critics argue that the tournaments are useless, costly, politically inspired and do not have long term goals and development targets of sport in Botswana. The tournaments are also reportedly marred by excessive usage of alcohol as some teams are reported to have gone on drinking binge after winning the prize money. But Kgathi has warning firmly against this. “I strongly caution those who use the prize money on unproductive activities such as alcohol consumption. I also appeal my honourable colleagues in Parliament to help me in this respect, in their respective constituencies,” said Kgathi.
