A critical overview of sport development in Botswana

There is increasing research interest on effective approaches to talent development and ways to establish a superior environment that facilitates the growth of junior athletes into senior and elite levels. There has been little research and funding dedicated to talent development programmes in Botswana. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a critical overview of athletic talent development programmes in the unique context of Botswana, a developing country in Southern Africa with a small population. This paper is divided into three sections. The first section presents the historical evolution of sport in Botswana, particularly pre- and post-colonial sport, providing details of how Botswana sport has developed overtime. The second section shares information on the sport delivery system, and the role of sport governing bodies and the school sport administration, to describe how sport is currently implemented with implications on athletic talent development. In the third section, the paper builds a case for talent development and sport science research with a specific context of Botswana. This paper can benefit practitioners in the sport industry by helping them to develop context-specific talent development programmes in the country.