President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko has underscored the critical importance of strengthening grassroots football development, describing it as the bedrock of the country’s sporting future.
Speaking yesterday at the official unveiling ceremony of seven local coaches selected to attend coaching clinics under the Manchester United coaching programme in Trafford, England, Boko said Botswana must invest deliberately in nurturing talent at community level.
The coaches will participate in training sessions linked to the English Premier League giants’ development structures in the United Kingdom, an initiative that follows Boko’s recent engagement with British billionaire and investor Jim Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe, who has business interests in sport, extended support to Botswana in areas of economic diversification and sports tourism during their meeting.
Boko stressed that grassroots development remains essential for identifying young talent, encouraging lifelong participation in physical activity, and strengthening social cohesion within communities.
On infrastructure, the President was emphatic that facilities form the backbone of sustainable football development.
“Facilities are the foundation of grassroots football. They directly influence participation rates, player development and the overall sustainability of local clubs. We need facilities, we need soccer fields of acceptable quality for every child. We need these, and when we say these things people think that we should keep quiet,” Boko said.
He urged the seven coaches being Edwin Moalosi, Basimanebotlhe Malete, Kesego Kgaudi, Thatayaone Sonny, William Monene, Godfrey Ranthoka and Seemo Mpatane to maximise the opportunity by closely studying how the Manchester United Impact Programme operates.
The Impact Programme, known as Emerging Talent, supports 41,289 young players across 125 grassroots projects globally, providing structured pathways for youth development.
The Botswana delegation will receive training centred at the Carrington Training Complex in Trafford, United Kingdom. The programme focuses on high-intensity technical skill refinement, tactical awareness and physical conditioning elements regarded as critical in modern football development.
The exchange initiative is expected to enhance local coaching capacity and contribute to Botswana’s broader ambitions of growing sport as both a development tool and an economic driver through sports tourism.
