Botswana: Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture Tumiso Rakgare expressed that the meeting with the media today was not in the joyful mood they had anticipated ahead of the Cairo trip, but not despondent either.
He was speaking at a media brief held this morning following the AFCON host decision.
Minister Rakgare pointed out that the entire sports fraternity is saddened to have lost the right to host the 36th edition of the AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) in 2027 but very proud of the fact that we gave a very good account of our country and its people.
He divulged that “we take comfort in Marilyn Monroe’s quote, which says Sometimes good things fall apart so that better things can fall together.” He stated that as a Government and as a country, we will be taking our next step post the AFCON bid.
“Whether that will be in sport or another field, all we can say to the continent and the rest of the world for now is that the best is yet to come from the dynamite that is Botswana.”
Minister Rakgare expressed his gratitude to the Bid Committee and Secretariat for their commitment to the project, having spent many sleepless nights and hours on end, all with the sole objective of winning the AFCON rights for Botswana.
Rakgare pointed out that “though we may not have brought the AFCON 2027 rights to Botswana, they facilitated the best bid book for that edition and produced material that is essential for guiding some of our infrastructure development, and laid the foundation for our future bids for AFCON and other events including those outside of sport”.
Minister Rakgare explained that the determination to bid for AFCON 2027 has liberated many of us from the fear that if you are small, not too rich and limited by other circumstances, you cannot dream big and pursue such dreams.
Minister extended unwavering appreciation to Botswana that while there were quite a lot in support of the project, at the same time, alive to the fact that there were those against it for right or wrong reasons. Whatever the case, it is important to have divergent views, for it was only through such that we are challenged to deeply reflect, and that was an important part of the process.
Rakgare stated that with the designs for refurbishing existing stadiums and building new ones, and as such may benefit football and other sports, the plan to deliver some of those projects within the next few years is still ongoing, likewise infrastructure.