Financially hamstrung Botswana Fencing Federation determined to succeed

Financially hamstrung Botswana Fencing Federation (BFF) remains determined to expand its international footprint and build a stronger pathway for local fencers. The BFF missed both the recent Commonwealth Games and the Junior World Championships due to an acute lack of funds. Despite these challenges, the federation continues to find ways to give some of its athletes some international exposure.

This year, two senior fencers, Koketso Masena and Aobakwe Modise, were sent to the World Senior Championships in Hong Kong. Two others, Katlego Poonyane and Modise, represented Botswana at the African Championships in June.

BFF Public Relations Officer, Thabile Pilane says the federation was encouraged by the exposure gained. This is despite being unable to send full teams which include coaches to the events. While acknowledging that sending individual athletes instead of teams was not ideal, she says the federation was determined to improve its representation at future competitions.

“It is not completely bad because we managed to have some exposure internationally, although we sent one person instead of a team. In future we would like to try and send a number of players.”

Despite the financial challenges, the federation continues to organise local competition to keep its athletes active and competition ready. “We managed also to have a tournament around March. That is how we keep our players active, so that they are always ready to compete. At any point in time, we can pick from the rankings for these international games when we get the proper funds and the support that we need,” Pilane says.

With no sponsors on board, the federation currently relies largely on parents and individuals willing to provide financial assistance. “We have willing individuals and parents, but it is not stable to run a federation like that.”

“Our federation is in dire need of sponsors to enable it to grow and gain the recognition it deserves and be part of the strong codes for Team Botswana,” the BFF PRO emphasises.

Pilane says that while the federation’s mother bodies have supported them, assistance often comes at the last minute, making long-term planning difficult. The federation has since intensified efforts to secure partnerships and sponsorships. Among those recently approached is the Embassy of China in Botswana.

“We approached the Embassy of China to Botswana because there is another tournament in Hong Kong coming up. We want to take the junior team that didn’t manage to go to the Commonwealth, so that they get that experience and exposure,” she explains.

In the interim, the BFF is also preparing to host an international local tournament on 19 **September 2026 in Gaborone. ** Athletes from other countries are expected to participate. The competition will cater for junior, senior and cadet categories.

While funding setbacks continue, the federation’s message is one of perseverance: keeping athletes active, seeking partnerships and creating opportunities so that Botswana fencing can eventually compete internationally with full teams and the support structure it deserves.

As the BFF moves towards its elective Annual General Meeting, Pilane says the current committee is still committed to advance the interest of the federation. She says as the committee, they acknowledge that there are still shortcomings, particularly in its efforts to move Botswana up from its current tier to the top tier. Despite these, they remain committed to building on the progress made through a number of initiatives planned for the future.

The post Financially hamstrung Botswana Fencing Federation determined to succeed first appeared on Sunday Standard and is written by Oratile Otsetswe