OVER E1M SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS BUS ARRIVES

MBABANE – The wait is over!
Travel headaches will be significantly reduced for national sports associations, as a 34-passenger Toyota bus has been purchased and made available for their use. The bus was acquired from NTT Toyota in Mbabane, as confirmed by the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC) Finance and Administration Manager, Nqobile Dlamini. “The cost of the bus was E1 495 525.03 from NTT Toyota, Mbabane,” Dlamini disclosed. The bus is expected to alleviate the rental costs that national associations incur when representing Eswatini beyond its borders.  The first association to benefit from the bus is the Eswatini Cricket Association (ECA), whose national men’s team used it to travel to OR Tambo International Airport for a connecting flight to participate in the Sub-Regional Qualifiers C in Nigeria.

The ESRC Chief Executive Officer, Darius Dlomo, expressed his enthusiasm regarding the bus’ arrival and its anticipated cost efficiency for national associations’ transportation needs.  “Yes, the bus has arrived, and we are very excited. This bus will be used by national associations. This is the reason it was purchased,” said Dlomo. He noted that this development will reduce the costs associated with international participation, making travel to certain countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) more affordable now that transportation is readily available.

Dlomo also highlighted that the Regional Championships will be easier to access, as the bus will lessen the financial burden on both the government and national associations.
Meanwhile, Dumisani Ntiwane, the ESRC Media Officer, echoed the CEO’s sentiments. “Overall, this initiative will help cut down on expenses. Most, if not all, associations were struggling with transport,” stated Ntiwane. He also mentioned the safety and comfort features of the bus, emphasising that these were key priorities in its procurement.
In a show of gratitude, the President of the Eswatini National Netball Association (ENNA), Ntombikayise Masango, expressed appreciation on behalf of her association for the availability of the bus. “ESRC has truly helped us; the bus will benefit us as it is readily available to the associations,” she said.

Masango also noted the challenges of booking transport during the busy December schedule, a time when many people are travelling. The netball national team will be fortunate, as they are set to compete in the Africa Netball Cup from December 9-14 in Namibia. Meanwhile, the Eswatini Hockey Association (EHA), through their Head of Development, Tinavo Mushavi expressed their gratitude for the purchase of the bus. “For us as EHA, we say thank you to the ESRC for looking at the challenging situation that all associations were in, we struggled with transportation,” expressed Mushavi. He further mentioned that this comes as a huge a relief as it will ease the burn of the association, while citing that it is a development in the right direction for sports in the country. He concluded by mentioning that this will assist them in playing more international matches, which then speaks to the ultimate goal of growth in proficiency in sport as a whole in the country.

Bus specifications:

34 seats (option for 12 passengers standing)
Ease of entrance for disabled passengers. There is the option of either a lower floor area at the rear of the bus with a manual ramp or access via a hydraulic lift ramp.
Power (kW @ r/min) : (EEC/ISO NET) (kW @ r/min) 110 @ 2800
Transmission : Synchromesh

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: