Poor Start For Botswana At African Badminton Champs
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday October 25, 2021 16:00
Botswana Badminton Association (BBA) sent a four-member squad for the tournament that started last Wednesday and will end this Thursday. The men's team is made up of the country's top ranked players in Tshepang Olekantse and Tshepo Perekisi. Tebogo Ndzinge and Tessa Kabelo make up the women's team. The quartet was pitted in a tough group that included Africa's second best team Mauritius and regional giant South Africa.
On day one of the competition (Thursday), the Botswana team was in five matches against Mauritius as the pair faced off in men and women's doubles, mixed doubles and singles clashes of the team events section of the competition. Team Botswana got off to an undesired start as it failed to register a single win in the matches played on day one.
The team went to face South Africa in the second round of team events matches as the barren streak continued with the team losing out on the first medal chance without a win.
A disappointed team's head coach Oreeditse Thela said despite being disappointed by the results, he was generally happy with the effort and character his team showed. “We have had less game time compared to the two teams we were drawn in group B with, but the Botswana side has shown that with more events they are able to produce better results,” he said. Botswana's last medal chance is now the individual events which are to begin tomorrow (Tuesday).