No money and still have problems? Then come and have a go!

After a six-year hiatus, the Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) National League kicked off last weekend at the Molapo Crossroads Open Arena despite financial challenges and lack of sponsors.

However, federation president Tsoseletso Magang is optimistic that the league will finish strong from its start. “Six years of inactivity has indeed taken its toll on the sport of volleyball. Nonetheless, our goal is to continue the league, with or without sponsors, to ensure that it returns to its former glory,” she said.

According to the BVF president, the clubs are aware that there will be no prize money after the league ends, as the federation’s current funding “does not allow us to award prizes. However, we will still fight for the trophy.”

“We are currently in talks with several sponsors and we hope that at least one will come on board. If we can reach an agreement with a sponsor in the meantime, then we will definitely have prizes to give away,” Magon explained.

She said to assist the teams and alleviate the extreme financial difficulties they were facing, the government would allocate half of the funds to the teams and the other half for administration.

The funds allocated to the teams are expected to mobilize them to participate in the competition. Unlike the championship, which takes 6 to 8 weeks, the league has a long competition period. A team in the league plays 13 games in the first round and 13 games in the second round. Therefore, it is crucial to provide assistance to the teams to ensure that they do not miss any games, Magon said.

“We have done a really good job getting the league back. We have worked really hard and we have done everything we can to make sure the league returns smoothly and that it will continue to run despite the many obstacles that may be encountered.”

“We are also planning to hold a tournament between leagues to make it more competitive. This will also give coaches a chance to try out different players while giving teams exposure,” she added.

Magon said that as part of the BVF family, they are happy that the league is back. They are optimistic that this will provide an opportunity for potential sponsors to see volleyball first-hand instead of just hearing about its glory days. She added that they are working hard to revive the sport and bring it back to its peak.