BNSC DECLINES TO SPONSOR MEN VOLLEYBALL

BY:Kabelo Seleka

GABORONE:Following the unexpected withdrawal of Mozambique’s volleyball men’s team from the upcoming All Africa Games, Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) will not sponsor the team which qualified for the games as the best runners-up. 

Botswana failed to qualify for the much anticipated continental tournament as group winners after finishing second position behind Mozambique and above E-Swatini.  

However, lady luck struck the men’s volleyball team and immediately received invitation from the organizers of the games after group winners Mozambique pulled out at the eleventh hour without a valid reason. 

BNSC NOT PREPARED TO SPONSOR MEN

This sudden invitation seemingly caught BNSC by surprise. The sports body had set a target to sponsor only best performing teams at the games which are billed to start on Monday. 

According to a source close to the developments, BNSC simply overlooked the men volleyball team as it never given proper attention from the beginning. 

“It baffles us as to why the sport body [BNSC] allowed the team to participate in the first place, and start talking in parables when it notched qualification,” a concerned source lamented.

BNSC spokesperson Bobby Gaseitsewe emphasized that they only sponsors teams that finish first, but Botswana volleyball men finished second, as compared to their ladies counterparts who finished at the summit.

“We rely only on Gold medals; they did not qualify for sponsorship because they came second,” said Gaseitsewe.

BOTSWANA VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION LEARNED LATE

Commenting on the issue,Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) Vice President George Keotsene claimed that they only received information very late from the organizers because the team was already on a long break.

Keotsene alluded that they could have supported the team but it was beyond their reach at the time when they learnt about the sudden qualification.