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by Kagiso Madibana07.02.2010 9:10:26 P

The International Cricket Council (ICC)’s Africa Cricket Association recently named Botswana the Best Junior Cricket Initiative in Southern Africa for the year 2009.

Botswana was chosen as a winner of the award amongst 3 other African countries that had successfully taken cricket under their wing.

According to a letter written by the Regional Development Manager of Africa Cricket Association (ACA), Cassim Suliman, The ICC-Africa Development Programme announced its regional winners for the 2009 Annual Awards on the 25th of January.

Namibia stole the show as it won three awards for the overall regional competition. Namibia is expected to receive the awards for Best overall Cricket Development Programme, and Best Spirit of Cricket Initiative while Namibian Wynand won the Best Volunteer of the Year award.

Another country to walk away with three awards was Uganda, one for Best Overall Cricket Promotion and Marketing, lifetime service award to one of their own, Abram Kitumba Lutaya and for Photo of the year.

Mozambique is also to receive an award for the Best women’s cricket initiative programme.

Botswana’s developmental team has now added 5 more teams, and 300 more school kids under its programme that has been running for more than three years. Three of the newly enrolled schools are from Ramotswa.

The developmental programme now has a total of 65 schools and 4100 students in total.

New school, Lesetlhana Primary, a school based in Ramotswa, has registered more than 80 students in the cricket initiation programme, while St Barnard Primary School, also in Ramotswa, registered about 60 of its students. Another product of Ramotswa, Ketshwerebothata Primary School enrolled 70 of its students in the programme.

Rankoa Primary School of Sekwane signed 60 of its students into the programme. Lastly, another newcomer, Maboane Primary School from Letlhakeng also brought in another batch of 30 students.

Girish Ramakrishna, the CEO of Botswana Cricket since the 1st of February, said that the process of developing is still on-going despite the minor setbacks they are expecting to face sometime in the near future.

“We do not have ample space for big competitions, we have only one field in Gaborone, which will make it difficult in future to plan for major leagues. Right now, it’s fine because everyone is practising at their home grounds, but we will face a problem of congestion,” said Ramakrishna.