Modutlwa charts inclusive future for Botswana Bowls

As the first female president of the Botswana Bowling Association, Marea Modutlwa is determined to expand lawn bowls beyond traditional greens, into schools, rural communities, and disability sport. Business Weekly Sport caught up with her to discuss her vision and the inclusive future she hopes to build. By any measure, it is a quiet revolution. Modutlwa speaks about her vision without theatrics. There are no sweeping promises of instant transformation. Instead, there is deliberation, a sense that progress, like the sport itself, is achieved through patience, control, and a clear line of sight. “My vision as president aligns with the strategic plan of the Botswana Bowling Association,” she says. “To position Botswana as a leading nation in lawn bowls, fostering a culture of excellence, sportsmanship, and community engagement.” Her election marked a historic moment: she is the first woman to lead the sport nationally. For Modutlwa, the significance lies less in novelty and more in responsibility. She emphasizes continuity. She plans to build on the foundation laid by her predecessor, strengthening participation pathways and competitive standards while safeguarding the values that define bowls: integrity, respect, and etiquette. But change is unmistakable. Alongside Modutlwa, Executive Secretary Bolele Boima and Treasurer Lesedi Mafoko hold key leadership positions, signaling a shift in a sport long perceived as traditional and, at times, insular. “Diversity shapes how we think,” Modutlwa says. “It shapes the solutions we are able to imagine.” For decades, lawn bowls in Botswana, as in much of the Commonwealth, has been associated with manicured greens and established clubs. That image, dignified as it may be, can feel distant from rural villages and public schools. Inclusion has become a central pillar of Modutlwa’s presidency. Her committee is broadening access for people with disabilities and communities without permanent bowls facilities. In June 2025, Botswana joined African counterparts at the launch of the Ghana Bowls Federation, chaired by World Bowls President Brett O’Riley. Leaders mapped out a shared strategy for modernizing and expanding the sport. One key recommendation: a shift toward artificial greens—indoor or outdoor carpet surfaces that require far less maintenance than grass. In a country where water and resources must be carefully managed, the move is both practical and transformative. Botswana has also engaged the International Bowls for the Disabled to launch a disability bowls program. For Modutlwa, this is not auxiliary—it is essential. “Safeguarding and inclusive participation must be at the heart of the sport,” she says. To break down barriers further, the association has ordered short mat bowls equipment. Played in school halls, community centers, and rural spaces without formal infrastructure, it travels where traditional greens cannot. “If there is no facility,” Modutlwa says, “we take the sport to the people.” Youth development is another cornerstone. Programs like Re Ba Bona Ha have revitalized talent identification and provided young players with international exposure. The association plans to embed bowls within school sports structures and expand short mat formats nationwide. Geography, Modutlwa believes, should not limit opportunity. In a sporting landscape dominated by football and athletics, bowls must earn relevance. That requires visibility, accessibility, and aspiration. She is also committed to women’s empowerment. The BBA’s Women’s Commission is undergoing capacity-building; coaches, officials, and administrators are receiving training and certification. Recently, Mighty Morwaagole completed a Certified Leadership Course, while Binkie Gaborutwe undertook safeguarding training. Modutlwa stresses that empowerment must be structured, not symbolic. Development and women’s advancement, in her vision, are intertwined. Stronger youth pathways create space for girls, while a skilled administrative base ensures inclusion policies are implemented effectively. Representation, she says, must be paired with readiness. Challenges remain. Funding is finite, infrastructure gaps are real, and the sport must modernize without abandoning tradition. Yet bowls itself offers a metaphor for governance. Success rarely comes from force; it comes from reading the terrain and adjusting accordingly. Modutlwa appears comfortable with that rhythm. Across Botswana’s greens, the soft click of bowls meeting remains unchanged. Under her leadership, that sound may soon echo in school halls, rural community centers, and adaptive sport programs—a quiet but deliberate expansion of the game. If she achieves her ambition, the transformation of Botswana bowls will not arrive with spectacle. It will unfold steadily, purposefully, curving toward a more inclusive future until, almost imperceptibly, it finds its mark.

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