Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana’s delegation has arrived in Namibia ahead of the Region V African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Games which are slayed for 4 to 13 July in Windhoek and Swakopmund.
The AUSC Games – a biennial multi-sport event for athletes under 20 from Southern Africa – continue to serve as a crucial developmental platform.
Botswana’s team will compete in athletics, boxing, judo, women’s football, netball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, Special Olympics, men’s basketball, and women’s volleyball.
Launch pad of future stars
This year also sees the return of Botswana’s participation in men’s football, men’s volleyball, and women’s basketball.
Previously known as the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone V Games, the tournament has helped launch the careers of stars like Botswana’s Olympic silver medalist Nigel Amos and swimmer Naomi Ruele, as well as South Africa’s world-record sprinter Wayde van Niekerk.
In a separate development here at home, Minister of Sports and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng, has made a passionate call for a cultural shift in how the nation views sports and creative careers.
Viable and respectable professions
He was speaking at the 3rd Annual Employee Africa Summit that was held in Gaborone recently under the theme “Empowering Workforce Resilience: Navigating Change and Innovation in Africa.”
Delivering under the topic “Re-Imagining Work: Sports and Arts as a Career,” Kelebeng emphasised that the country must no longer see sports and art as hobbies but as viable and respectable professions.
“This is the time to reimagine a future with endless possibilities,” he said. “It’s time to do away with the perception that sports and the creative arts are for leisure or hobbies. Sports and the arts are real career paths like any other academic professions.”
“Our stars are rising”
The minister stressed that Botswana is already seeing global recognition through its athletes and creatives. “Our stars are rising and shining brightly, and the entire world is witnessing the talents that are making marks in the books of history,” he said.
Kelebeng noted that the Ministry of Sports and Arts is working with stakeholders to reintegrate sports and arts into schools and called on parents and educators to nurture rather than dismiss talent.
“Sports and the arts are the engines that can propel this country forward,” he said. “They are not fallback careers. They are a God-given calling deserving of the same respect and investment as academic paths.”
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