New committee face same old problems
When the newly elected Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) committee assumed office in April, there were high hopes they would restore the sport to former glories.
Top of the ‘to do list’ was securing a sponsor to bankroll the return of a national league, which has lain dormant since 2018, when Mascom pulled the plug.
However, six months into their reign and the early optimism is gradually fading away as President Tsoseletso Magang and her team find the going increasingly tough.
Speaking to Voice Sport, Magang revealed they are now targeting next year for the league’s resuscitation.
The vastly experienced administrator pointed to the lingering, far-reaching financial aftermath of Covid-19 as one of the main reasons corporates are reluctant to dig into their pockets and come forward with sponsorship.
“We came to find nothing on the table when we assumed office. The only thing that was there was the Return to Play tournament and Regional Beach Volleyball competition. We had to start from scratch to engage potential sponsors such that we get something that can take us to the courts,” she explained.
Magang also admitted volleyball’s battered reputation was proving another hump in the road to recovery.
“A lot of work has to be put in place, especially winning people back, more so that we spent a long time without activities. So it becomes very difficult to convince people that we are really back and can stay the course. That is the tide we are swimming against,” griped the BVF leader.
The national league was last played over four years ago, backed by Mascom Wireless.
Since then, finding sponsors has proved a fruitless task. Seeking alternatives, the federation attempted to organise a self-sponsored tournament in 2019 before Covid-19 brought the sporting world to a standstill.
It was not until early this year that BVF managed to give clubs a glimpse of competitive action through the Return to Play tournie, powered by their Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) grant.
“We have to build confidence to show that volleyball is back and we want to take it to the next level. So we have to work hard to bring them back to the sport because they need us to brand themselves,” reiterated Magang.
Although there will be no league this year, Magang stressed her administration are working hard to piece together a tournament as preparation for the Zone VI Club Championships in December (12th – 24th).
Teams which registered for Zone VI include Police VI ladies and men, BDF VI ladies and men and Mag-Stimela.
The Return to Play extravaganza was used as qualification for the regional comp. However, although the likes of Kutlwano (men and women) and Kalavango ladies finished amongst the top four, financial constraints meant they were unable to register for the Zone VI gig; a depressing scenario local volleyball knows all too well!
