Rooftop for Africa ping-pong tourney
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday March 9, 2024 06:47
The Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) will host the 2024 Africa Youth Championship and the 2024 Commonwealth Youth Championship in July.
The Africa Youth Championship is to be held from July 15-21 while the Commonwealth Youth Championship will follow shortly after the continental showpiece. The BTTA has since penned an agreement with TurnStar Holdings Limited to use the Game City Rooftop Parkade as a tournament area.
Ave Maria Hotel and Conferencing has also joined in as an accommodation sponsor while Botho University is the main tournament area. It will host two competition tables with the Game City Rooftop Parkade hosting five playing tables and four training areas. "The partnership launch between the Botswana Table Tennis Association and TurnStar Holdings Limited marks a significant step forward for the promotion and development of table tennis in Botswana.
With the support of key stakeholders like TurnStar Holdings Limited, Botho University and Ave Maria Hotel and Conferencing, the BTTA is well positioned to host successful tournaments and further advance the sport in the region," a statement from BTTA reads. Speaking to MmegiSport this week, the BTTA public relations officer, Tshegofatso Malepa welcomed the involvement of the private sector in the sport as she said the BTTA has reached 70% of the tournament budget. "This will be the second time in the history of table tennis that the competition will be played in a mall with the kind of structure as the rooftop.
We are going to put six competition tables and four training tables. In addition, there will be a TV Court and one competition court at Botho University. In terms of the budget we are at 70% of getting all the funding we need for the tournament," Malepa said. Meanwhile, Tshepiso Rebatenne and Bakang Maloka have started the year on a high note.
The duo won the women's and men's disciplines in the Phoenix Assurance Botswana Open Championship played over the weekend at Babusi Hall. Rebatenne beat Olorato Ramagapu 3-0 to clinch the title while Maloka continued his winning streak with a 3-0 win over William Olyn in the final.