Soliciting sponsors for the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) national league is on top of Tsoseletso Magang’s agenda as the new president of the sporting code, Business Weekly Sports can reveal.
Magang became the new BVF president after she entered the elections unopposed last weekend. A former volleyball player herself, she has promised that she and her committee will do everything to secure sponsorship for the BVF national league within their first 100 days in office. “We do not want six months to pass without us having begun with the league and are hopeful that this is something that we can succeed at,” she said in an interview.
The Botswana sports Hall of Famer emphasised the importance of BVF having an active national league for development goals of the sport. “Every sporting code needs an active league,” she noted. “That is because clubs are tasked with a huge responsibility of developing players who need to be tested in a competitive atmosphere (the league). It is the league that will inform clubs if they are doing a good job in development or not. Development is vital for the survival of every sporting code.”
Scud, as Magang is otherwise known, added that they have already commenced negotiations with a few companies and individuals. “Some have showed interest as soon as they figured I am the new president,” she said. “We will do all in our power to make sure that the negotiations are finalised quickly because it is important for us start a league that has sponsors because it is vital for keeping structures busy and active.”
The BVF national league has not taken place for more than 30 months, the last league game having been played in the last quarter of 2018 under a Mascom Wireless sponsorship that was not renewed. BVF cup competitions are in the same situation of no one coming forward with sponsorship, JB Sports being the last entity to sponsor tournaments. Currently, BVF is engaged in a self-sponsored tournament in order to keep players fit and busy.
Magang told this publication that another of their aims is to improve relations with other stakeholders like the Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) and Botswana Tertiary Student Sports Association (BOTESSA). “These two are very important for the betterment of volleyball,” she stated. “When I was president 13 years back, we were able to secure sponsors for BISA volleyball. “We’ll be aiming to resuscitate that as it enabled us to produce quality players who are currently playing. We will also be looking to improve university volleyball hand in hand with BOTESSA because that is where some teams recruit players.”
Magang said she and her committee will ensure that Botswana volleyball retains its dominance in the SADC region and Africa at large. “Volleyball can only return to glory days if we empower our clubs,” she said. “We must work very closely with our clubs and empower them. “I have had conversations with my committee and other structures to drill them on the importance of working with clubs as they are the ones on the ground. Clubs are the ones that can share a lot of ideas of how we can improve volleyball and we ought to be united if we are to take volleyball to greater heights again.”
Meanwhile, in addition to Magang as president, volleyball’s new executive committee is made up of Ndibo Lebala as vice president-administration and Percy Roberts as vice president-technical while Ruth Mbangwa is vice president Beach volleyball. Odirile Molobe is the treasurer and Joe Brown Tlhaselo the committee’s media relations and marketing officer. Pogiso Osupile is an additional member of the new executive committee.
