United States Sports Academy - "America's Sports University"

Abstract

The Botswana flag has never been raised nor has its national anthem been heard at the medal ceremonies of any major international sports competition. The aim of this paper is to critically analyze problems of sports development in developing countries, taking Botswana, Africa as an example. This paper is based on material collected from a number of documents on sport in developing countries, newspapers and material from the Internet. E-mail correspondence was exchanged with a number of officials employed by the key providers of sports development in Botswana. An interview was conducted with a Botswana international athlete who was resident in the United Kingdom. The results of the research showed that Botswana has made great strides in the administration and organization of sport since independence, but the economic advances that have been made are being threatened by the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has become the most devastating emergency in the nation’s history.

Introduction

The republic of Botswana is situated in Southern Africa; it extends for 1100 kilometers from north to south and 960 kilometers from east to west, and is the same size as France or Kenya, or slightly smaller than the state of Texas in the United States (US). It is landlocked being bordered by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe (Republic of Botswana, 2003; Corlett & Mokgwathi, 1989; Mokgwathi, 1999). Despite its size, the population of Botswana is only 1.47 million in 2004, 79.8 per cent of whom claim Tswana heritage (a Bantu group). It has one of the highest birth rates in the world, as the average Botswana woman will have five children.

Since independence in 1966, the national life expectancy increased from 49 to 69 years, but by 2004 it has been reduced by 25 years to 44 years. Alarmingly, more recent research projected that the life expectancy could fall as low as 29 years if the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus was not slowed or reversed. In 2001 there were 330,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, which is 38.8 per cent of the population. The virus is also expected to halve the population growth by 2006. This will have an enormous economic and social impact especially as the HIV/AIDS rate among certain groups of the working population is approximately 25 per cent (Political Profile, 2004). Botswana has the world’s highest incidence of HIV/AIDS; 85 people per day become infected with HIV and will develop AIDS, and die within a decade without affordable treatment. One-half of the natural deaths are linked to the disease, and 1 in 8 children are infected with the virus at birth (McIntyre, 2003).

The relatively small population, and the concentration of the population into the southeast corner is due to the harsh physical and climatic terrain of Botswana. Most of the country lies at an average elevation of 1000 meters, and covering 85 per cent of Botswana is the Kalahari Desert; in the northwest is the Okavango Delta, and in the northeast is the clay desert of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Such features and the limited number of urban communities make communication and travel difficult, thus presenting logistical difficulties with travel over long distances in order to participate in sport. Softball, for example, is very popular, but there are a limited number of softball teams in Botswana. Due to problems with traveling vast distances in the country, play is geographically divided between north and south to minimize costs, and a national tournament is held annually, at the National Softball Diamond Stadium in Gaborone.

Economy. Botswana has one of the world’s highest rates of economic growth estimated to be between 11-13 per cent annually (Botswana: Africa’s Freest Economy, 2004; Toriola, 2001). In 1998, the per capita gross national product in Botswana was US $3070, which is high by African standards. The wealth of the country may be important as research by Nevill & Stead (2002) indicated a 0.71 correlation between the GNP of the country measured in US$ and success in the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. So Botswana, with a high GNP by African standards, is in a better position to succeed in international sport than many other African countries.

Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country. The performance of the economy has enabled the government to increase resources for education, health, food, housing, and social welfare programs including sport.

Success in international sport. It is still the case that “The Botswana flag has never been raised nor has its national anthem ever been heard at the medal ceremonies of any major international competition” (Corlett & Mokgwathi, 1989, p. 223), although according to Mokgwathi (1999, p. 136) “the BNSC has a vision which includes Botswana at the medal awards ceremonies of world class competitions.” Botswana did not win any medals at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, and only won 3 medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Botswana was more successful at the All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria in 2003 when they won 6 medals. A Commonwealth Games medallist from Botswana informed me:

"As a nation, our view for sport has mainly been for fun and enjoyment… we had not taken it to demonstrate or put our mark…but things have moved on and its just a matter of time, let me assure you that a medal is coming within 2 years…even at the Olympics this year."

Concluding evaluation. Botswana’s elevation to a middle-income country reflects its record of political and social stability, economic growth, and prudent economic management. (Botswana Economy: Facts and Figures, 2004; The World Bank Factbook: Botswana, 2004). I was told that:

"The party that is in power now has been in power since independence and it seems that Botswanans are happy with the way Mogae (the President) runs the economy and the way he runs the country. We are fortunate and I salute all those guys working around the clock in shaping Botswana to be who she is today."

The high rate of unemployment that officially is 21 per cent, although unofficial estimates are closer to 41 per cent in 2001, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic threaten Botswana’s economic gains (McIntyre, 2003).

Further, Botswana suffers from a widely scattered population, as there are vast distances between centers of population, although most of the urban population lives in the southeast corner of the country. The GNP is high by African standards, and its population remains small. But as in many African countries there is migration from rural to urban areas that have resulted in the creation of shantytowns, homelessness, unemployment and crime.

Despite these problems, Botswana has achieved sustainable economic growth; it is a peaceful democratic country despite being surrounded by countries in which there is economic and political turbulence. Botswana is a positive role model for other African countries, south of the Sahara, and it is in this context that the role of sport in Botswana will be examined.

Theoretical framework. All of the countries in Africa including Botswana, with the interesting exception of South Africa, may be described as developing countries. For Giddens (2001) the distinguishing features of developing countries is that their political systems are modeled on systems established in societies in the West; most of the populations live in rural areas, but there is a rapid growth in the cities; agriculture export remains the main economic activity; western industrialism has undermined more traditional systems; and, they form distinct political communities or nation-states. The concept of development is addressed by reference to statistical data of the demographic conditions of the population, the quality of public communications, the achieved technological standards, life expectancy, the nutritional situation of the inhabitants, and the distribution of wealth. More specifically in relation to sport, Coghlan (1992, p. 1) defines developing countries as, “a range of sovereign states that are to a greater or lesser extent in a process of social change needing co-operation and assistance from those that are better placed.” A distinction is thus made between developed and developing countries. This definition of developing countries implies that there are many similarities in the socio-economic and political composition of such countries, but they also all differ in their traditions and histories, and in their stages of development. Coghlan’s (1992) definition of developing countries is used as a template for the purpose of this examination of sport in Botswana.

The Problems of Sports Development

Sports organizations. In his detailed analysis of the patterns of government involvement in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom, Houlihan (1997) maintains that in order to understand the development of sport and sporting issues in different countries, it is necessary to have an “appreciation of the development and organization of sport and the dominant pattern of policy-making” (p. 22). Hence, in order to understand the problems of sports development in Botswana, the key sports providers will be examined.

In Botswana, the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs (MLHA) (Corlett & Mokgwathi, 1989; Mokgwathi, 1999; Toriola, 2001) govern sports administration. Within the Ministry is the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) which serves as the “legislative arm of government which co-ordinates and provides overall leadership for sport development in Botswana” (Toriola, 2001, p. 10). I was informed that:

"The objective of the Department of Sport and Recreation is to create an environment in which all Botswana, whether rural or urban, disabled or not, can participate in sports either for fun, health, fitness or recreation. This would mean that those who have potential to excel would be provided with the facilities and environment to reach their full potential. It would also mean promoting active living behaviors through sports and recreational programs."

The Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) deals directly with the various sports associations delivering competitive sport in the country, and therefore serves as an intermediary between the government and the national sports associations (Mokgwathi, 1999; Toriola, 2001). The BNSC comprises representatives of all of the sports organizations in Botswana, and according to Corlett & Mokgwathi (1989) “it has substantial power” (p. 218) mainly because the chairperson of the BNSC is appointed directly by the MLHA (Mokgwathi, 1999). An athlete informed me that, “The BNSC reports to the Government through the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs (MLHA), and its overall responsibility is policy formulation for sports development.” The BNSC allocates funds to sports organizations, but evidently this process has not always taken place in an equitable fashion, as the BNSC fails to represent the interests of all of its members. The BNSC reports to the DSR, which due to its weak position in the MLHA, is unable to offer significant financial assistance, and other resources to implement major capital projects and policies planned by the BNSC (Corlett & Mokgwathi, 1989). For example, the Botswana Softball Association team had to raise significant funds independently to compete in the World Championships in Michigan in the US in 2004, thus indicating a scarcity of funds for representative international sports teams.

The National Softball League is, in fact, one of the few national leagues to be sponsored as Shell Oil Botswana has sponsored the league for the past eight years. However, this sponsorship is not without conflicts, as at the 2003 Shell softball prize giving in Gaborone, conflicts arose between the players and sponsors as not all of the players conformed to the request to wear clothing supplied by the sponsors. For Marumo Morule, the President of the Botswana Softball Association (BSA), this indicated a lack of professionalism by the players. He said that the “sports codes must do what the sponsors want,” thus raising issues in relation to the organization of sport, the governing bodies of sport and the demands of the sponsors (Teams ‘soil’ Shell Oil Ceremony, 2003).

The BNSC is funded by an annual grant from government through the MLHA which is distributed to operate various national sports associations affiliated to BNSC based on their sport development needs (Toriola, 2001). As with all such organizations, both in the developed and developing world, government funding is deemed to be inadequate despite an increase in the annual grant between 1985-98 in order to meet the demands of sports development programs. Much of the money is used by the national sports associations to meet international sports engagements, but the lack of qualified coaches, good facilities and funding has resulted in athletes being poorly prepared for international sports events such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games (Toriola, 2001).

There is indeed increasing evidence that the government is taking a more active role in the development of sport and recreation in Botswana by increasing to P22 million ($5 million) the annual grant to the BNSC, and providing moral support to its athletes. When asked if the government is involved in sports development, a Botswana athlete informed me, "There is a Department of Sports and Recreation and if I recall well, there was a total of five stadiums to be completed around the country last year. The Vice President of Botswana was in Manchester cheering for me… yes the government is deeply involved."

The Assistant Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major Gene Pheto said that the increase in the grant and “the construction of sport facilities in various villages throughout the country is testimony of government commitment to sport” (Government Committed to Sport-Pheto, 2003). He further stated that the money would be used by the BNSC to fund the 31 sports under their jurisdiction, and to ensure that the national team participates in international competitions. In order to improve performances, the BNSC has also introduced cash incentives to national athletes and teams. But Toriola (2001) still feels that sports development is hindered by poor sport structures and inadequate facilities that are typical problems in a developing country such as Botswana.

There is more recent evidence of the BNSC becoming increasingly involved with the promotion of sport at a local level. For example, Tebro Onkabetse, a member of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) speaking to the Bobirwa Sports Festival in Mmadinare, noted how the BNSC was helping to organize district sports festivals. He also noted that the government was committed to providing a conducive environment for the development of sport and recreation, and that there had been acceleration in the provision of integrated sports facilities throughout the country.

Aid from the international community. Botswana competed as an independent country for the first time in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Despite a demand by the US for all African countries to boycott the Games due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, Botswana felt obligated to participate. This was mainly due to the close association Botswana had with the Soviet Union who provided technical assistance in sports development since independence.

There has been significant Soviet influence on the structure and organization of sport in Africa. This influence expanded in the 1980s and took many forms. By 1982 over 200 Soviet sports specialists worked in more than 30 African countries. They provided material aid, sports equipment, and literature, organized sports exhibitions, and constructed sports facilities. Athletes were encouraged to participate in joint training sessions with Soviets. In 1981, there were 49 sports specialists from 32 developing countries studying in the Moscow State Higher Institute of Physical Education. As part of the Soviet propaganda effort to foster goodwill towards the USSR, and develop positive attitudes toward the Soviet state and its policy, statements expressing support for the USSR were also made (Chappell & Seifu, 2000). Ironically, the US has also been involved in the development of sport in Botswana. In 1981 Mal Whitfield an American Olympic gold medallist visited Botswana and recommended a framework for sports development, and his recommendations were a major factor in determining future policies and decisions in the country (Toriola, 2001).

Botswana still has a close association with the USSR’s former ally, Cuba who provides coaches to train Botswana sportsmen and women in athletics (track & field), boxing and volleyball (Toriola, 2001). An athlete informed me,

"I think they started working in Botswana around 1996 if I recall well…and they work on a contract basis…. say two or more years depending on how they are doing. The current one in athletics has been there since 1998 and is doing a great job and will do much more if he is allowed to do his job properly!"

Khumiso Ikopoling, a boxer from Botswana trains in Cuba under this scheme of co-operation as he maintains that “Cuba has good boxers and good training equipment compared with Botswana” (Boxers Promise Fireworks, 2004).

As in many other developing countries, the BNOC is a recipient of funds from Olympic Solidarity, and this is used in order to fund sports development schemes and coaching courses. With the support of these funds, an international volleyball course was organized by the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) sponsored by the BNSC in conjunction with the BNOC between 27^th December 2003 and 10^th January 2004, and was staffed by a coach from Egypt (Roberts tops Olympic Solidarity Coaches Course, 2004).

Funding sports organizations. The development of sport in Africa has been plagued by a number of problems. In the first place, extreme poverty is the most serious obstacle to the development of sport, as funds are needed to alleviate more immediate social problems. In soccer, the Fėdėration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) offers financial assistance to promote the game, and is mainly used to develop football (soccer) for the masses, and not to fund representative international matches that are, to a certain extent, self-funded. However, the lack of finances has limited participation in international competitions. For example, in the qualifying stages of the 1994 World Cup, over 20 African nations failed to complete their games due to the lack of resources and civil unrest, and similarly, 16 countries dropped out of the qualifying stages of the African Cup of Nations in 1996.

More recently, media attention in Botswana has focused upon qualification for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Botswana (nicknamed the ‘Zebras’) have been drawn against Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Malawi and Guinea in their Group Five World Cup qualifying matches. The winners of the competition will proceed to the finals in Germany in 2006, while the top three will qualify for the African Cup of Nations to be held in Egypt in the same year. A tough competition is expected especially from Tunisia and Morocco, both of whom hope to do well in order to enhance their bid to host the World Cup Finals in 2010. Optimism within the BFA is high as they have moved eight places from 36 to 28 in the African FIFA rankings (116 in the FIFA world rankings in October 2003) so they hope to make an impact on the qualifying group (Zebras Brace for World Cup 2006 Qualifiers, 2004; Zebras to Face Harsh Realities of World Cup, 2003). Football in Botswana has become an important focus in which the population may identify proudly with a local, national or international team. Support for the national team in World Cup qualifying matches represents the opportunity for the expression of national pride and identity.

Participation in the World Cup qualifying matches, however, has raised the issue of a lack of finances as the BFA need to raise approximately P7 million ($2 million) in order for Botswana to participate in the 2006 World Cup and the African Cup of Nations qualifying rounds. The BFA chief executive, Falcon Sedimo announced that they were in dire financial trouble and there was a likelihood that they might fail to honor some of their fixtures if funds could not be secured in time. This might have been a strategic ploy to secure additional funding from government sources, but it does highlight problems encountered by some national associations when participating in international sports events such as the World Cup (Zebras to Face Harsh Realities of World Cup, 2003).

Similar financial problems have confronted the national softball team who competed in the International Softball Federation (ISF) XI Men’s World Softball Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand between 29^th January and 8^th February 2004. (Botswana Softball Team for New Zealand, 2003; BSA Names Players for Men’s World Championships, 2003). Participation in the World Championships indicates the commitment of the national association to play softball at international level, and the availability of some funds to support such ventures. But the team’s participation was thrown into uncertainty when the BSC pleaded that it had insufficient funds to participate, so appealed to the BNSC for assistance. The BSA had to raise one-half of the P300,000 ($1million) required to participate, and the remainder was given by the BNSC. All finances were eventually secured just prior to departure and Botswana’s participation was confirmed by the International Softball Federation (ISF) (Softball Men for New Zealand Championships, 2004).

Boxers from Botswana have achieved some success at international competitions, and most national teams at international sports events such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and the All-Africa Games include several boxers; they won bronze medals at the All-Africa Games in Egypt in 1991, and in Zimbabwe in 1995, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England in 2002, but winning medals at the Olympic Games has been more elusive. Boxing, as with other sports, is hampered by a severe a lack of funds that is restricting the ability of boxers from Botswana to compete in international competitions. Botswana was only able to send five boxers instead of an allocated 10 to the Olympic qualifying tournament in Casablanca, Morocco between 15-22January 2004. Further problems arose when two of the boxers, Lechedzani ‘Master’ Luza and Lesley Sekotswe were refused permission to leave their jobs as teachers by the Ministry of Education. The BABA representative promptly called into question governmental support for sport as the government refused permission for its own employees to compete in the Olympic qualifying competition. The BABA maintained that this action was not in line with the Ministry’s vision of Botswana becoming a competitive sporting nation. Discussions between the BNSC, the DSR, and the Ministry of Education did not secure the boxers' release. The three remaining boxers who did compete in Morocco failed to impress as one was eliminated in the preliminary round, and the other two were beaten during the quarterfinal stages (Botswana Boxers Fail to Impress, 2004; We are not to blame-BNSC, 2004). Further financial problems were highlighted by the inability of the BABA to replace the old electronic scoring system that is required to determine the results of boxing matches. However, this situation was rectified by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) as the African Boxing Championships were held in Botswana between 15-23 March 2004 and therefore supplied the new equipment (Cash-strapped BABA to send Four Boxers to the Olympics, 2003).

Fledgling organizations. There have been a number of problems recently that are typical of a fledgling organization trying to make an impact in African and World sport. These problems are an indication of instability in organizations that sometimes are not completely democratic. In March 2001, for example, the Botswana part-time football coach David Bright resigned following the 1-0 home defeat by Malawi in the first round of the Confederation of Southern African Football Association (COSAFA) Cup. He had only just been appointed coach before this game in order to replace the veteran German coach, Heinz Marotske. Marotske was appointed in January 2001, but mysteriously “walked-out” from the position one week before the game with Malawi.

In response to this situation, the Sports Minister D.K.Kwelagobe became involved by saying that the Botswana government would help to pay the salary of a full-time coach in order to improve the results of the national team (Jelusu Veselin from Yugoslavia was eventually appointed). The intervention of the government calls into question the independence of the BFA that is a feature of the organization of sport in democratic societies (Botswana Search for ‘Big Name’ Coach, 2001). Further administrative problems arose in January 2004 when Falcon Sedino, the chief executive officer of the BFA resigned his post without disclosing the reasons for his resignation (Sedimo Quits BFA Hot Seat, 2004). Similar problems have arisen with ‘in-fighting’ within the Botswana Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) over the appointment of coaches and managers for international tournaments.

In softball, steps are being taken in Southern Africa to re-address the lack of an adequate international structure. Representatives from Botswana, Lesotha, South Africa and Zimbabwe met in Gaborone on 28^th November 2003 to establish a Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA) Zone VI Softball Confederation. Delegates maintain that the absence of an adequate international structure was highlighted by the absence of women’s softball at the All-African Games (AAG) in Abuja, Nigeria in October 2003. This was because a Zone VI tournament held as a qualification tournament was not affiliated to the SCSA. In relation to the formation of the confederation, Maumo Morule maintained that “it means we will be eligible for all of the competitions sanctioned by the SCSA, we will be eligible for support from the government, and it will strengthen softball in the region” (Regional Softball on the Cards,” 2003).

Sport in schools. A lack of suitable organizations is highlighted in the structure of sport in schools, and this is significant as most children get their sports experience through schools. The Botswana Institutions Sport Association (BISA) organizes sports competitions for junior and secondary schools, and is affiliated to the BNSC and based in the Ministry of Education. The BISA organizes sports competitions on a school-term basis, that is athletics between January-May and ball games between May–August (Toriola, 2001). It also organizes international competitions between the smaller countries of Southern Africa. When asked about the structure of athletics in schools in Botswana, I was told that:

Yes, there is an adequate structure, which is quite competitive because those who became champions go on to compete with schools in Southern Africa (it used to involve 6 countries including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Swaziland etc during my time: 1996-1998). The only problem is that there is no effective and efficient structure in place to support those outside school, but I have heard that something is coming up…or has started as of last year.

Despite having the BISA organizing competitive sport in school Mokgwathi (1999, p. 128) still argues that “the major problem in secondary schools is the lack of adequate facilities, equipment, trained personnel, proper and safe transportation of the student athletes.” However, no such organization exists to co-ordinate the development of sport at the primary school level. This weakness in the structure of school sport was addressed by the former director of the DSR, Shaw Kgathi who called upon an umbrella organization similar to the BISA to co-ordinate the development of sport in primary schools. He also recommended that funding sport in the primary school level should also be increased (Kgathi for More Sport Funding, 2003).

Mismanagement within organizations. Many new states seek to gain membership of international sports bodies in order to give their country status, legitimacy and publicity value (Houlihan, 1991, 1994, 2000). Membership of most organizations is dominated by a small number of predominantly Western European and North American democracies, therefore access is difficult. European and North American members, for example, dominate the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and it is also a problem with many international sports federations “in which Western and European functionaries still dominate” (Eichberg, 1984, p. 97). Many countries in Africa seek membership of other smaller organizations, such as the Commonwealth Games Federation, in order to have access to decision-making processes. These organizations tend not to be dominated by the major powers, are more concerned with policy decisions rather than exercising political power, and are more democratic, thus allowing greater equality in decision making (Houlihan, 1994).

The development of the football in Africa has also been undermined by the lack of democratic processes within the administration of the sport. For example, Ismail Bhamjee from Botswana was optimistic of becoming President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at the elections on 22^nd January 2004. Bhamjee says that although voting is by secret ballot, he was assured of support from 7 out of 15 West African countries, 3 out of 9 from central African countries and 11 out of 13 South African countries. In other democratic organizations it would be inconceivable to know the outcome of a vote prior to it taking place, thus raising issues with regard to CAF presidential elections being completely democratic (Bhamjee Optimistic of Winning CAF Top Post, 2004). Further, some government officials often interfere in the organization and administration of football that destabilizes African football, and limits some country’s advancement in international competition.

Concluding Comments

Corlett & Mokgwathi (1989) have argued that sport is a small part in Botswana’s culture. They further argue that in a fragile economy, to succeed at sport would require resources to be taken from other sectors of the economy. Quite rightly they maintain that in this situation the development of sport might not be a priority. The impressive economic advances that Botswana has made since independence are being threatened by the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has become the most devastating emergency in the nation’s history. Botswana has the highest infection rate in the world, and consequently household incomes are being reallocated to assist AIDS patients within families. The pandemic is also compromising children’s ability to stay at school thus reducing their opportunity to participate in physical education and sport. The greatest impact is on girls in Botswana who become infected at an earlier age and are at least four times more likely to become infected than boys.

As most deaths from AIDS occur in adults of childbearing age, these parents have left an estimated 78,000-orphaned children. This number of orphaned children is likely to overstress the government’s capacity to offer better delivery of social services including sport. If this trend continues, an unprecedented number of children will be left without parental care, and the traditional methods of caring for orphans will not be able to cope. This again will reduce the resources available for developing sport (At a Glance: Botswana, 2004).

Botswana has made great strides in the organization of sport since gaining independence. The country is politically stable at least compared with some of its African neighbors. Relevant bodies to administrate sport in Botswana, that is the BNSC, and the BNOC, have been established, as has their terms of reference. Botswana has been represented recently in the finals of the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and the All-African Games. Indeed taking into account the small population (1.47 million) and the vastness of the country that makes traveling problematic, Botswana has done remarkably well in international sport. But the BNSC ought to encourage more of the population to participate in sport. The BNSC also needs to address the problem of transparency, especially in financial matters in sports organizations.

In 1999, in order to develop elite athletes and coaches, the BNSC in conjunction with the United States Sport Academy initiated plans for a national Sports Academy (Toriola, 2001), and this is an example of the type of co-operation that needs to be undertaken. But more needs to be done, and therefore Botswana needs to strengthen its agreements with countries such as Cuba who can help to promote and develop sport for all in Botswana. Further, Botswana needs to take advantage of the schemes organized by the Olympic Solidarity Fund and those organized by federations such as the IAAF and the Fėdėration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

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