Slow start for India-based paddlers
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday October 15, 2022 06:00
India is one of the leading nations in the world in the development of ping-pong, both at the national team level and in domestic competitions. The India-based entourage is expected to reap rich from the Indian table tennis setting as the BTTA looks to form a formidable national team for the future.
However, a year later since the first player landed in the South Asian state, there has not been much progress for the group on the table. The players are yet to go professional as they are still playing as semi-professionals. No player has been recruited by an elite club in India and most are signed to academies. Jack is in the books of Stag Academy alongside 19-year-old Kaone Moroke. Wame Jawe, 20, is with Priyanka Table Tennis Academy while Tshireletso Samuel, 23, is attached to the Ahmedabad Sports Academy. The other player in India is 23-year-old Esther Mpotsang. Only five from the group are actively involved in the game. There have been struggles for others to find clubs with Oratile Kedisaletse nearing her first half-year in India but remaining clubless. Arthur Kgaswe and Thembilihle Montshiwa are said to be settling in India after arriving in August.
The 21-year-old Resego Leepo is set to leave soon and she also faces some time on the sidelines. Despite the group's early struggles in India, the BTTA remains optimistic about progress. Speaking to Mmegi Sport, the BTTA communications officer, Tshego Malepa said the association is working around the clock to find clubs for inactive players. "All our athletes in India are playing at a semi-professional level, we do not have a professional league in Botswana so we hope with time they will find a team in a professional league in India. In terms of their performances, some have just left recently while others have long left." "We have one that remains clubless at the moment but we working with our partners in India to try to help her. I think we would be able to measure their progress when they come to this side for the national team and if they would be able to bring medals. Most of these athletes went to India to study and some have been offered some time to train with the teams they are with. So at the moment, we cannot say much on their performances in India but we are hoping that we will see a better side from them when they play internationally," Malepa. Former top-ranked junior men player, Sean Dekop will join the contingent in India later this month. However, he will not be under the scholarship programme.