For Immediate Release Media Contact: Onesmo Ngowi
IBF/Africa Notes 151 Tel: (+255) 773-806828
INTERNATIONAL BOXING FEDERATION AFRICA (IBF/AFRICA) – TUESDAY 03 SEPTEMBER, 2013, DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Educated in Britain at the elites University of Fort Hare and
University of Oxford, and chose to marry one of their own, SIR
SERETSE KHAMA, the father of Botswana Nation, cut a status as one of the great cotemporary African freedom fighters in the 60s.
His choice for marrying a Briton, Lady
Ruth Williams Khama was seeing as a betrayal to the many beautiful
women in his Bamangwato's tribe from Serowe where he
was a Chief but, the most visionary and development minded Sir Khama could not
relent.
Sir Seretse Khama
As it turns out, his choice was to lay a bridge for the vast
transformation of his country economic development which according to the
economists, Botswana is one of the fastest growing economies in Sub Sahara Africa. Khama
laid a strong foundation for democracy in Botswana which is the source for
stability and development, envied by many countries in the third world.
Sir Seretse Khama used
every available avenue to advance his country's interests FIRST. While other
Africa leaders were rubbing shoulders with opposing powers from the West to East during the COLD
WAR, Sir Seretse Khama decided to take a sustainable economic route for the strategic
plan of his beloved country BOTSAWANA.
Botswana is endowed with massive
deposit for minerals; diamond, nickels and uranium being some of the mostly
sort after in the world and are abundantly available.
She is one of the few countries in the world
where the diamond rich De Beers Company has set as a base for its global auction
for diamond. In fact, De Beers plan is to move all its operations in Botswana and
make it the world's auctioning center for diamond.
Such strategic move would stimulate great
economic growth by creating employment and earn Botswana the much needed foreign
currency. It is the win, win situation where Botswana is focusing its attention
NOW!
The stable political environment of Botswana have enabled her to pass
through peaceful democratic process without affecting the county's booming economy.
Botswana is one of the fastest growing economies that have pave way to its fast
high-raised sky scrapers touching its skylines.
It is inline with this colorful background, that the world's
top boxing body the, IBF based in the USA
offered Botswana's larger than life boxing machismo Lesley Sekotswe its
prominence International Super
Bantamweight Title respectively.
To
know where Botswana stands in
respect to the boxing industry at the moment, one would be taken through
its colorful historical amateurs boxing tours and participations in the
All African, Commonwealth and
Olympics Games. Botswana's elite boxers have caused ripples to many international
meets which they have participated.
They fight like warriors with much nationalism
feelings at heart. One of these awesome warriors is Lesley Sekotswe from Maun
which is revered as the "tourism
capital" of Botswana bordering the famous Okavango Delta.
Botswana's tourism industry is one of the most
developed sectors in Sub Sahara Africa as it aims at quality rather than
quantity. This has projected the country to be the destination of choice for
many international celebrities including the Kings, Queens, Presidents, Prime
Ministers, Movie Stars from America, Europe, Asia as well as Africa.
Based on the massive mineral
exploration, meat export and tourism, Botswana's economy is growing at
a rate of 11% and it is rivaled only
by that of Mauritius 13%,
South Africa 13% and Angola 13%.
But, Botswana’s GDP Per Capita is at USD
8,532.62 and this
is the second highest in Sub Sahara Africa to Mauritius USD 8,755.37 but
way above other Southern African countries of South Africa USD 8070.03
and Namibia USD 5,383.26 respectively.
One would liken Botswana's fast growing economy
to that of the City-State of
Singapore which is among the fastest economic developed nations touted as one
the Asian Tigers but, Botswana
has gone through teeth and nails to reach where it is at the moment.
Botswana did not have any University College in
the 70s, but the country's University of Botswana (UB) boast of the finest University Education in Sub
Sahara Africa with the second one for Engineering and Technology on the process of being built.
Indeed Botswana is "an idea
whose time has come" in professional boxing and its manifestation
for its rightful place in the professional boxing fraternity has found a
reliable and strong ally in the International
Boxing Federation and United State Boxing Association (IBF/USBA).
It is this positive partnership that many boxing
stakeholders have invested their hopes as an avenue for "Sports
Tourism" development which would contribute towards Botswana's
tourism strategic development.
In November this year, the
country would welcome the arrival of the much hipped "IBF International Super Bantamweight Title" pitting the country's
much loved son Lesley Sekotswe
against a boxer from Europe.
Several names have
been proposed as opponents that include; Paul Economides: 17-13-4(KO1)-0, Lee Haskins: 30
-27(12)-3(3)-0 and Martin Ward: 19-17(4)-2 (2)-0 all from Britain.
With the D-Day approaching slowly, the
ground may turn out to be a quicksand to any of these would be
opponents as they would meet a man prepared to show his country that he is
truly the “Pound for Pound” boxer in
Botswana and indeed in the international arena.
Watch this space for more news as we advance
toward the most terrific moments in Botswana's boxing fraternity!
Congratulations Lesley and BOTSWANA. Africa
is proud of you!
"Nothing else like IBF/AFRICA as
it advances African interests to the
Global professional boxing fraternity"
They Call it AFRICA.....! We Call it HOME.
The
United States Boxing Association (USBA) and
International Boxing Federation (IBF) continental
body to Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf
Rudi Juu
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