For the 2021/22 financial year, the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) will receive a total of P100.7 million from the government through the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development (MYSC), The Business Weekly Sports has learnt.
Speaking in a telephonic interview, the Chief Executive Officer of BNSC, Tuelo Serufho, confirmed the subvention and noted: “That is the amount that we will allocate to our operations, National Sports Associations (NSAs) and special projects, among other things. In addition, the government has committed to cover Olympic preparations and other special projects.”
But was is the criterion used to allocate NSAs grants? Serufho told The Business Weekly Sports that the NSAs are scored against criteria derived from the BNSC Vision 2028 and the National Vision of 2036. “The more an NSA scores against the criteria , the higher its ranking and consequently the more funding it will get in relation to other NSAs,” he said.
Asked about the BNSC budget for the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Games, Serufho answered: “The final budget will be confirmed in due course as we are still in the middle of allocation of funds to the NSAs and projects. I must also note that we have every intention of sending a team to the Games.”
Formerly known as the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone V Games, the AUSC Games were originally scheduled for 4 to 13 December 2020 in Maseru before the COVID-19 pandemic brought all sports to a screeching halt. The Games are now scheduled to run from 3 to 12 December 2021 in Maseru, the Lesotho capital on the Caledon River.
The Games take place on biennial basis and target athletes under the age of 20 from sporting codes like athletics, football and netball. The AUSC Region 5 Games have grown to become a key development component and springboard for athletes. Several athletes have passed through these Games, key among them being Wayde Van Niekerk (South Africa) and Botswana’s Nigel Amos and Naomi Ruele.
Botswana finished third during the 2018 AUSC Games that were held in Gaborone where the country made a haul of 69 medals, including 12 gold medals.
