In the recently ended Commonwealth Youth Games held in India, our athletes held their own against the best of the young athletes in the world.

As was expected, Botswana sent a relatively small team compared to such teams as the United Kingdom and Australia. Nevertheless, it is more important to send quality rather than quantity. Despite the size of the Botswana team, it proved that it was no pushover.

In the last 50m or so of the 800-metre race when bronze-winner, Daniel Lagamang, moved a gear up as he left the rest of the pack behind for a moment, one could see the true spirit of a young Motswana athlete at his best.

Determination, confidence and self-belief were written all over the young competitor's face. Lagamang's face also carried the imprint of all the possibilities that this country's sporting future holds. It was unfortunate that he came second. It was evident that the boy had more fire in the engine to take the title. Our young boxer, Lentswe Zwinila, a Form Four student at Masunga also brought home silver. This young team arrived yesterday afternoon at the airport, but unlike their older counterparts in sports such as football, they did not receive public adulation. There was no scrambling for a peep at the stars. But it is these future stars that we can look up to with expectation. After all, they are the future. They may not have sponsors scrambling to get their signatures, but this is where the future of Botswana lies. That brings into mind a more important issue; these young athletes need nurturing.The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture should be preparing for the future of these young athletes. We understand that under the current system, they may stand a chance to win scholarships for training in different countries.

That is laudable, but it is also high time we developed our own stars here. Sometimes training a young athlete abroad removes the support mechanism that the athlete so depends on for his or her own success. This often compromises the athlete's ability to live up to his or her potential.

We therefore, take this opportunity to say congratulations and keep it up to the young athletes, their trainers and the officials who have played a role in their development. This nation owes you a pat on the back for your efforts.