One of the most promising skaters this country has ever produced, Thabiso Gulubane, the chairman of Botswana Skate Board Association, says the lack of funding as the main challenge they are facing.
Skateboarding is an extreme sport. It is the act of riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.
Falling is one of the biggest parts of skateboarding, which is why there are a handful of skaters that do it past their youthful years.
Skateboarding has grown into a popular sport amongst the urban youth of Gaborone, more especially the youth. They use skateboarding as a recreational activity during weekends.
Public areas such as the Main Mall usually become alive with street skaters every weekend.
The past two years have seen the emergence of a number of youngsters with some serious talent.
Skateboarding is a technically challenging sport, and involves all sorts of tricks like jumps, varials, slides, degrees and grinds.
There are some tricks that may require a ramp, whereas others can be performed off curbs or on flat ground.
The sport is popular amongst teenagers in Gaborone. Founder member of the Botswana Skateboard Association, Gulubane says that lack of funds has become a serious hindrance in talent identification and development of the trendy sporting code.
“Although we have already been registered officially with the registrar of societies as the Botswana Skate Board Association, we have not yet formally been introduced to the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) nor the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture (MYSC),” he said.
He feels that there are not yet enough skaters in the country to form a solid movement, but they are steadfastly becoming a force to e reckoned with.
“We need to be, at least, allocated a designated skate park in the meantime, whilst we are still sorting ourselves out because the one at Molapo Crossing has been lately been obstructed by construction activities as they are currently expanding and putting a facelift to the mall,” Gulubane said.
He said that the last time they had a contest was on June 21, which is celebrated as a skating day around the world. “The only other contest we will have is in December this year,” he said.
