The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) is firmly bridging the gap between competitive athletics and environmental sustainability, reinforcing the global stance that sports and ecosystem health are deeply interconnected.
BNOC Board Member and Chairperson of the Sustainability Committee, Kebalebile Ramontsho highlighted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) inherently recognises that athletic excellence cannot exist in a degraded environment.
At the institutional level, the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) maintains an official partnership with Wild Entrust under the Coaching Conservation banner to firmly merge competitive sport with environmental advocacy. This domestic collaboration reinforces the BNOC’s strategic commitment to global frameworks, specifically aligning with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Agenda 2020+5 roadmap and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on Climate Action.
Ramontsho was speaking during the launch of the Feed the Bin Movement in Maun last week Friday, a community movement to keep the environment clean and encourage everyone to take responsibility for where waste ends up. Partners in this programme include, Wild Entrust, Hollard Botswana, Chobe Holdings, Kalahari Insurance Brokers (KIB), North West District Council (NWDC), and North West District Council.
“Every running track, football pitch, river way, where our youth train, relies on the pristine ecosystem. When we protect our environment, we safeguard the very space where the future Olympians are born and nurtured,” Ramontsho stated.
At the heart of this movement is Coaching Conservation – pioneered by Wild Entrust, an innovative, active-learning initiative that merges sports, play, and wildlife education. Since 2022, the program has made massive strides in the Ngamiland region by delivering specialized lessons on vulture preservation, successfully educating roughly 5,000 children annually.
The program’s unique educational methodology utilises sports and physical play to teach children about wildlife behaviour and environmental protection, inspiring the next generation of eco-conscious citizens.
The global impact of the program was further highlighted in September 2025, when the Royal Commonwealth Society invited Wild Entrust to host the prestigious King’s Baton Relay in Maun. Focused on the global theme of “Clean Oceans and Clean Waterways,” Wild Entrust successfully delivered the event in partnership with Commonwealth Sport Botswana, seamlessly uniting children, adults, sports figures, and environmental action.
With strong ministerial backing and deep-rooted athletic partnerships, the Coaching Conservation initiative continues to set a benchmark for how sports can serve as a powerful tool for environmental stewardship and youth empowerment in Botswana.
In his remarks, the Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng, has highly commended Wild Entrust’s Coaching Conservation programme for establishing a vital relationship between sport and environmental education.
Kelebeng praised the innovative program for utilising sports and play to actively engage children, spark their creativity, and encourage them to explore sustainable ideas and experiences they can easily connect with. He highlighted that integrating play into sports and arts aligns directly with national commitments to foster environmentally friendly play spaces.
He noted that the ministry is driving these sustainability priorities through strategic green initiatives, including the development of “green stadiums,” implementing a strict ban on single-use bottles inside stadiums, and leveraging the arts to raise public awareness on the sustainable upkeep of community play areas.
“As the Minister responsible for Sport and Arts, I am particularly pleased to see sport being used as a vehicle for positive environmental action. This is because there is a natural connection between healthy people and healthy environments,” he said.
He noted that as the ministry they want young people to be active, to walk, to play, to participate in sport and to enjoy the outdoors, at the same time understanding that the spaces in which they live, play and exercise must be cared for.
“Through these approaches, all communities members inclusive children are encouraged to develop a deeper sense of care, care for themselves, care for others and care for the environment,” he said.
Kelebeng highlighted that sport and creative arts instill positive societal core values such as teamwork, discipline, respect, perseverance and responsibility. He said bringing these approaches together, makes environmental education becomes something children experience and practise, rather than simply something they hear about.
Kelebeng explained that a child who learns to respect themselves, respect others and respect their environment is more likely to grow into a citizen who takes responsibility for the community around them. He encouraged sporting clubs, schools, athletes, federations and community groups to see environmental responsibility as something that can be incorporated into their activities.
Wild Entrust’s Community Coexistence Program Coordinator, Montshiwa Montshiwa has thanked Commonwealth Sport Botswana for showing what sport can do beyond the playing field, bringing people together, building teamwork and creating a platform for positive behavior and citizenship.
