Africa-Press – Botswana. Traditionally viewed as an elitist sport, horse racing is swiftly growing in popularity locally, especially as a spectator event.
This was evident in Samedupi on Saturday, as thousands descended on the tiny village, located some 10km from Maun, for the annual Easter Cup at Masa Horse Race Park.
The day-long meet featured ten races, with spectators screaming themselves hoarse as they roared on their preferred steed
Adding to the excitement and noise, betting was involved for the first time.
Indeed, the Botswana Gambling Authority (BGA) are confident this is the start of great things for the sport in BW, with horse racing already enjoying a huge standing in other parts of Africa.
“Globally, horse racing contributes Billions to national economies, and supports hundreds and thousands of jobs. Let me give you two small examples from our continent: in neighbouring South Africa, horse racing is worth an equivalent of P2 billion, supporting more than 60, 000 jobs. In Kenya, Ngong district employs 2, 000 people directly and many more indirectly in feed supplies, training, hospitality among others,” explained BGA CEO, Peter Kesitilwe.
Opportunities created through the sport include: direct employment such as jockeys, trainers, grooms, racecourse staff, media and event management, while indirect jobs include: breeding, veterinary care and feed suppliers.
“These are real models and we have to ask ourselves, what is Botswana waiting for? We heard the President of Botswana Horse Racing Association a while ago calling for partnership and investment in the sport. With regulation and partnership we can build ethical horse racing that can attract investors,” continued Kesitilwe, adding discussions to form a National Horse Race Council are at an advanced stage.
“This is because we want to build the future of this sport to be inclusive and sustainable, and build with integrity.”
Advising the public not too get too carried away when placing their bets, Kesitilwe advised them to gamble within their means.
“Betting should be fun not harmful, hence we educate the public about it and encourage them to bet responsibly and know where to stop,” he warned.
Horse racing is a recognised sport at national level and its association is a registered member of Botswana National Sport Council (BNSC).
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