Stanbic Bank Botswana has injected P250 000 in Botswana Swimming Sport Association (BSSA) as they will be host the 2020 CANA Zone IV Swimming Championships next year.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Stanbic Bank Botswana, communications manager, Ruth Sibanda said the bank recognise the role that sport plays in bringing people together.

She said supporting BSSA was their way of encouraging more youth to look to sport as a possible career path, which would help in curbing youth unemployment and positioning Botswana as a worthy competitor on an international scale.

Sibanda said their sponsorship strategy was aligned with the support of the sports industry, and they were passionate about moving their customers and the nation forward.

Furthermore, she said at Stanbic Bank Botswana, they believe education and sport were resources of hope and part of the fabric of Botswana life as they could fulfill the aspiration of many youth.

"Sport is a language of excellence, community, family, a language of love and powerful sector for driving socio-economic development," she said.

She said their support and contribution was in line with the Bank's overarching strategic approach to sponsor platforms that see development and growth of various sporting disciplines to fly the Botswana flag high.

Sibanda said at Stanbic Bank Botswana, they were confident that come next year, Team Botswana would make the nation proud during the championship.

2020 CANA Zone IV Swimming Championship local organising committee, chairperson, Kgaotsang Matthews said the championships were a FINA recognised event that would see over 300 swimmers, their coaches and officials from around 14 countries attending the event in Gaborone.

She said FINA had also confirmed that the event would be used as an Olympic qualifier, thus, she said they were expecting countries to bring their best swimmers.

"Our own Naomi Ruele and James Freeman will be swimming on home ground," she said.

Furthermore, she said hosting a competition of this level comes with benefits adding that it would help to raise the profile of Gaborone and the country in the swimming world.

Matthews said hosting the event would help to grow awareness of swimming sport in Botswana.

She thanked some of their sponsors amongst them Stanbic Botswana, Cresta Lodge, Wimpy Botswana, Nashua Botswana and Coca Cola.

Source : BOPA

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