Former Township Rollers’ long-serving chief financier and club president, Jagdish Shah, has announced his departure from football administration. Shah, who currently serves as the deputy treasurer of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), made this declaration at the Botswana Football League (BFL) annual general assembly this week.
“After serving football for the past 11 years, today is officially my last day, and I want to thank and appreciate everyone who has supported me throughout this journey,” said Shah at the assembly.
Shah embarked on his journey with Rollers in 2013, initially stepping in as the chief financier. Over the course of a decade, he held several key positions within the BFL. However, in May 2023, after ten years of dedicated service, Shah chose to part ways with Rollers.
A well-placed informant close to the former Township Rollers investor revealed that Shah has begun to divest some of his investments, with speculation that he may be contemplating relocating from Botswana. Shah, a renowned businessman, operates Zebra Net, an internet service provider, H&G, a game farm in Kasane, a cattle farm in the Ghanzi region, and numerous properties in Gaborone. Additionally, he owns two hotels in the USA. In 2022, it was reported that his advisors endorsed his potential decision to relocate, provided he retained his successful investments.
Shah’s introduction to the Botswana football landscape came in 2013, encouraged by his former partner and director, Somerset Gobuiwang. Under Shah’s guidance, Mapalastina achieved remarkable success, securing sixteen championship titles and reaching their first-ever CAF Champions League group stage in 2018.
His leadership significantly transformed the local football scene, leveraging his connections to attract sponsorships for both the league and Rollers. However, Shah’s tenure was not without controversy. His leadership faced challenges, including court and boardroom battles with his former business partner, Somerset Gobuiwang, and disgruntled Rollers supporters who questioned the legitimacy of his leadership.
Before his decision to leave Rollers in 2023, Shah demanded that the Rollers society relinquish their 20 percent interest in the company. In a strongly worded letter addressed to the chairman in 2023, Shah expressed his frustration, stating, “Throughout my years of active financial participation at the club, I have never felt so frustrated, disrespected, and unappreciated, as I do currently.” He further revealed, “I always knew that this Township Rollers FC project would not yield any profits for me in the foreseeable future.”
Shah expected the general membership of Township Rollers FC to treat him with respect, appreciate his substantial investment in the team, and support his commercial initiatives, including decision-making related to Township Rollers FC.
Despite the ownership disputes during Shah’s era, the team dominated domestic competitions, winning five league titles in the past decade and making a historic appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage in 2018, becoming the first team in the country to achieve this milestone. Shah entered into a ten-year lease agreement with Gobuiwang in 2013, which expired in May 2023.
