Police IX eye defending Phikwe Softball Extravaganza title
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:20
They had a good run during the South Region men’s eliminations played at the National Diamond over the weekend. Police will represent the region at the tournament alongside three other softball powerhouses being BDF IX, Gatalamotho and Wells International. On day one of the eliminations, Police were too heavy for Bears as they surrendered in second inning, with a scoreline of 7-0. In game two, Police suffered a 2-0 defeat to Wells. In game three, Police destroyed their nemesis, Gatalamotho 7-1, with the comeback pitcher, Kunyalala Samuel doing the most from the mound. The Cops continued dominance on Sunday as they forced Panthers to surrender in the first inning, holding on to 7-0 lead. Police coach, Kgaola Motsumi told Sport Monitor that they will do everything in their power to defend the title that they have won twice. He said the factor behind their success include the return of Kunyalala and two other players who joined the side. “We are going to have fun in Phikwe and we are not worried about any other team, we will be focusing on the task at hand,” he said.
Scramblers booked themselves a slot in the tournament with Rebels being the only team to score against them. Qualifying for Extravaganza twice in a row is a huge achievement for Scramblers because last year was the first time the side played the tournament after 10 years. The team captain Obakeng Ketwesepe said they made history during the 2024 edition when they finished in position four and that was due to injuries picked by two players, and that affected the depth of the team. “We played well at the eliminations. We have shown improvement after recruiting some players to beef up the squad. We are looking forward to an exciting Extravaganza,” he said. Orapa based Carats have qualified for the tournament in both men and women and the team spokesperson, Phologo Lebopo said the brilliance was due to the few additions made to the team. When asked why they struggle at the main event, Lebopo explained that it was because they had many new faces and now they have bonded and play as a team. It was a tough tournament for Bears youngsters who could not withstand the pressure from the marauding opposition such as BDF and Gatalamotho.
Bears coach, Kelebogile Mabua said they are still developing the players, a process that started in January and target was the Extravaganza eliminations. “I thought that the men’s team will qualify. I am disappointed by the way they played, that is not exactly how they play. Maybe it was because of fear or respect for big teams. This is not the end for us and the transfer window is open, we will see who we can poach,” Mabua said. Meanwhile, the Northern region eliminations for both men and women were played in Orapa. Scramblers, Carats and Rail Giants will join hosts, Comets in the men’s side. Teams that qualified in the women’s section are Gheto Yankees, Scramblers and Carats and they will also be joined by Comets. Extravaganza winners, both men and women will walk away with P40, 000 each with runners up pocketing P30, 000 each and P20, 000 will be allocated to third place finish.