inBUSINESS Issue 15

Tshenyego Swept the BNOC Stakes
Words: Mosah Mokganedi
In becoming the new President
of Botswana National Olympic
Committee (BNOC), the
organisation’s former Senior Vice
President, Botsang Tshenyego,
had to beat four other contenders in
elections that were held on October 7.
Fifteen sport codes voted for him
against Ookeditse Malesu’s six, France
Mabiletsa and Tebogo Lebotse-
Sebego’s two votes each and Daniel
Molaodi’s solitary vote, sweeping the
stakes by far.
While it had widely been expected
to be a close contest, Tshenyego
evidently worked harder than the
rest at convincing affiliates that he
was their man. However, that he had
deputised outgoing Negros Kgosietsile
for the past eight years must have also
worked for him.
In other positions, Moses Moruise
beat Keeneese Katisenge and Rampa
Mosweu to the first vice presidency
while Bernadette Moruti became the
new Second Vice President. Michael
Moroka, Tebo Segaise and Yarona
Sharp are the new additional members
of the board that will be in charge until
2022.
Speaking after the elections,
Tshenyego thanked the affiliates
for entrusting him with greater
responsibility and assured them that
they had the right person for the
job in him. Even so, he emphasised
teamwork and told fellow committee
members that his success would
depend on their support.
He singled outgoing president
Kgosietsile out for having taught him a
lot. “If we fall, we fall together,” he said.
“And if we succeed, we must succeed
together.”
He said his having been a part of
BNOC for a long time had enabled
him a good grasp of things. Lack of
resources and attracting sponsors
would be a priority, he added.
“Resources are always a cause of
conflict in sports with all sport codes
wanting a fair share,” Tshenyego
noted.
He observed that the biggest
Tshenyego, France Mabiletsa and Ookeditse Malesu in discussion
winners in the elections were women
since three women, which constitutes
42%, had made it onto the committee
for the first time in recent history. The
involvement of women in decisionmaking
positions was critical as it
made reaching balanced decisions
easier, he said.
For his part, Kgosietsile, who had
been at the helm of BNOC for the
past 16 years, warned that there were
“grey areas” that called for attention.
He cautioned the organisation against
washing its dirty linen in public as
that could only earn a bad name for
sports. He too emphasised teamwork
and advised his successor to seek
the input of other board members and
affiliates before making decisions.
“I achieved all that I managed to
through teamwork because success
cannot be achieved by an individual,”
he noted. Nevertheless, he said, the
committee need not live in fear of
making mistakes because humans
were not infallible. “Do not shy away
from criticism because criticism is not
a bad thing either,” he added.
Kgosietsile encouraged the new
board to devise a strategy for the
growth of sports in Botswana.
“Oftentimes we talk about limited funds
New BNOC PRESIDENT, Botsang Tshenyego
in sports, but have we tried to come up
with strategies of how best we can use
the limited funds?, he queried.
But most of all, the outgoing
president underlined grassroots
development because investing in
young talent would ensure a feeder
programme for winning players and
teams.
Meanwhile, elections for BNOC’s
elections committee did not take place
because there were not nominees.
www.inbusiness.co.bw | Issue 15 | 2017 47