Botswana football on the rise

It was a fruitful day of interaction and learning across a range of subjects that are crucial in the modern game if a football organisation and club are to grow.

From marketing to media gurus, to top football development officers and leading club administrators, it was a hugely insightful day of football discussion.

Leading the talk was representative of the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), Mr Pilot Yane, General Manager Marketing, who spoke of their partnership with the beMOBILE Premier League and their excitement at the new vision for the competition.

This vision was laid out by beMOBILE Premier League CEO Bennett Mamelodi, who spoke of the exciting changes that were coming for the league with its re-brand and new trophy.

"We are about to unleash a monster, the future of the Premiership is on the rise". He spoke on the launch of the new name, the beMOBILE Premiership, as well as the new League trophy.

That was followed by a presentation from BTC Head of Communications, Tiro Kganela, and Vivian Casaletti of strategic sponsorship agency Optimize, on the innovations the beMOBILE Premiership would bring in 2015/16.

FIFA's Southern and Eastern Region development officer Ashford Mamelodi gave a truly insightful talk on the development challenges facing the region and how Botswana clubs can maximise their potential to unearth new talent.

"FIFA is always available to assist in the building of the game. Through the BFA, assistance is available to clubs, both on and off the field," he said.

Senzo Mazingiza, who is football manager with South African side, Platinum Stars, and former General Manager of Orlando Pirates, spoke of how they had managed to turn the club into one that regularly competes for trophies.

Mazingiza gave a fascinating talk on the processes they put in place which took them from a side in the lower reaches of the league to one that finished second in the PSL and appeared in three domestic cup finals in two seasons, winning two of those.

Media guru Erick Mwanza, who recently returned to the Football Association of Zambia after a successful post with the Confederation of African Football, spoke about the media landscape on the African continent.

"Communications are key for any club or organisation, but there are also potential pitfalls," explained Mwanza.

Another communications guru, Luxolo September, in charge of that department at the South African Premier Soccer League, gave a case-study on his experiences with the PSL and how they ran a hugely professional communications strategy.

Along the same lines, Leatile Mmutle from the Sports Writers Association of Botswana gave a passionate presentation on how the relationship between clubs and the media can be improved.

With some of the top sports, marketing and administration brains in the Southern African region at the workshop, the hard lessons of the past have been turned into the successes of tomorrow!

After the workshop, the new BeMOBILE Premiership trophy was finally unveiled, much to the delight of the guests.

"It stands 70cms high and weighs a healthy 25kgs," said BPL CEO, Bennett Mamelodi, "It is an impressive piece of silverware, big and bold, and the step up to a bigger trophy for the beMOBILE Premiership is in line with the rise in standard of Botswana Football."

The MD of marketing for BTCL concluded: "As sponsors, we at the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited value our relationship with the Botswana Premiership and have been impressed with the changes in professionalism and quality of the football we have seen in our seven years of involvement with the league."

The day was attended by Premiership clubs and media alike, all in an effort to plot the way forward to a better football future for the country.