Tennis connects with corporate through all-white affair
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday November 4, 2025 11:07
The first all-white affair was held in February. BTA president, Oaitse Thipe, said the intention is to hold it twice a year. 'BTA is using the Corporate Tennis Tournament to connect with the corporate sector and generate revenue,' Thipe said after the event held at the National Tennis Centre in Gaborone. 'The all white affair follows the Wimbledon theme. Wimbledon is one of the favourite competitions in the sports calendar, and it can increase participation in tennis among adults and at our clubs,' he added. The event affords corporate to buy space and also participate in tennis.
'The corporates can buy the whole court for P10,000 and have gazebos on the courts and sell their products while playing the tournament. We have programs such as wheelchair and junior programs, which we need to pay coaches and transport wheelchair players,' Thipe said. He also said the tournament is crucial to encourage people to exercise. Alpha Direct emerged as the winners of the tournament, while BTA finished as runners-up, with Gaborone Electronics taking third spot. 'The tournament encourages networking by corporate executives and team building. These companies will be encouraged to buy name rights for the National Tennis Centre and also advertise on our tennis courts,' he said.
Most codes are heavily reliant on the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) for funding, and BTA, through the corporate event and other activities, is attempting to diversify its revenue streams. Tennis has emerged as one of the best-performing codes, evidenced by its performance during the Botswana Sports Awards. The Davis Cup team was recently promoted to Africa Group IV after a strong performance during the qualifiers held in Gaborone in July. Botswana's resurgence on the court has seen the emergence of stars such as Denzel Seetso, Mark Nawa, Chelsea Chakanyuka, and Ntungamili Riguan, among others.