Botswana: Sierra Cup football tournament resuscitates at a high pace over the weekend (10/06/2023) at the Special Support Group (SSG) football grounds at Maruapula in Gaborone after a three-year break. The tournament that was last played in 2019 was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kickstarting the event with a Keynote Address, Director for Gender and Child Protection Branch, Senior Assistant Commissioner Goitseone Ngono, said the theme of this year’s tournament, “Attaining healthy body and mind, #Our Culture”, resonates well with a number of studies that shows the positive impact of physical training on one’s health.
She said most importantly, the tournament provides an opportunity for police officers across all ranks to interact in a more relaxed atmosphere. Ngono appreciated the tournament for giving footballers a chance to engage in physical training hence promoting good health as well as strengthening teamwork amongst officers.
The Director pointed out that a healthy person is motivated towards their work and is productive at all times, adding that police officers are expected to be healthy and fit in order to perform their duties efficiently.
She, therefore, encouraged officers to take responsibility for their health by always seeking medical attention and counselling and to offer each other support irrespective of rank.
The Director also appreciated the presence of police senior management, saying it shows their commitment to supporting the human resource as an essential part of the BPS in achieving its organisational goals.
For his part, the SSG Deputy Commander responsible for Operations, Assistant Commissioner Baikgantshi Keiketlile, said the tournament, which started in 1993, has been in existence for 30 years. He said it started as a platform for SSG members to interact with each other outside the work environment.
He said it has since gained popularity and grown to include other teams from formations of the organisation like the Police Headquarters and Transport and Telecommunication Branch (TTB).
Present at the event were Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA Fund), Botswana Substance Abuse Support Network (BOSASNet), Thito Holdings (BOPRITA) and Botswana Gender-Based Violence Prevention Support Centre, who shared information on the services they offer.
The tournament’s first game was between A – Company and C – Company which ended with a 3-2 win in favour of C-Company. It was followed by 44ces walloping Band Wing by three goals to nil. The last game of the day was an encounter between Anti-Pouching Unit and SWAT, who scored two goals each. The finals are scheduled for the 22nd and 23rd of July this year.
