BFA trains Administrators

FIFA injects over P4 million into BFA500 football administrators trained

VICTORIA MARUMO

editors@thepatriot.co.bw

Botswana Football Association (BFA) on Friday completed a five-day FIFA approved and funded Administration and Management Course for Gaborone, which ran from 12-16 April.

The training course is a BFA initiative to ensure professionalism, good governance and compliance in local football. It was held under the theme ‘Operation Time for Change’. Botswana is the first African country to be a recipient of the course.

Former FIFA development officer for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ashford Mamelodi is the chief consultant currently in charge of the project. Mamelodi commended Gaborone for a job well done, and said it had done exceptionally well out of the 14 regions he had been engaged with. “BFA will only be strong if regions are strong and Gaborone, is in a very good position,” he added.

Speaking at the event, BFA President Maclean Letshwiti, said when they initially embarked on the journey, they were clear on the need to invest in this project. “Time was right for the BFA to change the way we managed football particularly at the level of the Regional Associations. Time was right for the empowerment of the Regions so that they could in due course develop into strong members of the BFA,”he explained. Operation Time for Change” was designed to identify prospective candidates for the BFA Regional Instructors so and ultimately train BFA Regional Instructors in Administration Management who in turn could avail themselves to continue training football leaders in their respective Regional Associations. “We are mindful of the fact that this is not something that could be achieved over night but believe that in the long run, as leadership strengthens at the Regional and club levels this could only augur well for a vibrant BFA,”said Letshwiti.

 The project has successfully trained up to 500 football officials across the country inclusive of BFA partners from Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA), Burley Oaks Primary Schools Association (BOPSA), Botswana Tertiary Students Sports Association (BOTESSA) and Football Union of Botswana (FUB).  Letshwiti encouraged the football community not to despair, and be reminded that restrictions on sporting activities are as a result of the pandemic, but sooner or later, they should return to play.

A welcome and refreshing undertaking, the 5-day FIFA programme is intended to achieve a renewal in terms of how football is managed at all levels throughout the country, facilitated by FIFA instructor and consultant, Ashford Mamelodi of Mamelodi Consulting.

The first phase of the programme, full Administration and Management course will see all the 17 Regional Structures of the BFA around the country taking part. The objectives of the programme include the empowerment of leaders, both Regional Structures and Clubs, on the management of the game;  engaging participants on the importance of Stakeholder management, as well as identifying for further training prospective national course instructors in Administration and Management, with a view that once qualified, they will continue to train up and coming Administrators in the Regions on football administration.

Furthermore, the programme seeks to engage regional Associations to transform into nerve centres of football development in their respective Regions.  The Administration and Management programme further seeks to provide lectures with skills in leadership, good governance, planning, communication, managing change and conflict management.

The BFA expects that after this engagement, the Regional Structures will be fully equipped and be more pro-active in their management of football in the Regions and Clubs.  It is further expected that they will be strong stakeholder management who include Local Authorities such as the office of the District Commissioner, District Councils and Tribal Authorities. It is also expected henceforth that Regional Structures and Clubs will communicate more often with all stakeholders, as well as refining how they approach commercial partners or sponsors.

“The BFA expects after the Operation Time for Change programme, football will not only have a new lease in life but will be better organized and better structured to full address future growth of football throughout the country. It is expected that in future when an impact assessment is done, they will also be a marked improvement on the performance of the national teams.”

From Gaborone, the Operation Time for Change programme will head out to the Kgatleng Regional FA, from April 26th – 30th, and call it a wrap in Palapye from 10th – 14th May 2021 with the Central/North Regional FA (Serowe).