Francistown Open serves up table tennis’ big push
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday May 4, 2026 06:00
The debut tournament took place here at Adansonia Hotel Multi-Purpose Hall last weekend, and marked a practical shift in strategy, with BTTA decentralising national events to widen participation and develop talent beyond Gaborone.
Speaking to MmegiSport on the sidelines of the event, BTTA Regional Chairperson for the North, Kelebogile Khamfore, explained the move is central to growing the sport and identifying new talent across all regions.
“This is very important for the growth of sport. It is one of BTTA’s initiatives to take table tennis to all regions. The aim is to spread it across the country so that we can grow the sport and find new talent,” he said.
The Francistown staging gave northern players rare exposure to national level competition, previously concentrated in Gaborone. BTTA sees this as key to raising standards and building depth across all categories.
Three northern clubs featured, alongside a development team from the Central region, but it was the established Gaborone-based players who largely dominated proceedings underlining the existing performance gap.
Still, the tournament produced clear champions across all divisions. In the Under-12 boys, Agobakwe Sebetlela (Maikano Project) was clinical, beating Andile Mmono (Bontleng/Ithuteng Project) 3–0.
The Under-12 girls title went to Stephaney Batsholeng (Bontleng/Ithuteng Project), who overpowered Sethunya Buisanyang 3–0 in a one-sided final. In the Veterans category, Bonolo Mabote (Smash Maniacs TTC) edged Tshepo Modisane 3–2 in a tight five-set battle.
The Under-19 boys crown went to Reneilwe Lekorwe (Smash Maniacs TTC), who defeated Thato Kgongwana 3–1.
On the girls’ side, Carol David (Bontleng/Ithuteng Project) beat Briannah Mogaladi 3–1 to take the title.
The Senior Men’s final saw Bakang Maloka (BDF TTC) overcome Mompati Chabe 3–1 in an all-BDF showdown.
In the Senior Women’s final, Emmah Lelatisitswe (Nhabe TTC) held her nerve to beat Tshepiso Rebatenne 3–2 in a tense five-set decider.
Despite the competitive intensity, Khamfore was honest about the gap that still exists between domestic and international standards.
“The standards are high, but I cannot say we are at a level where we can compete internationally yet. That is why we want to grow it further, especially in the northern regions,” he said.
A major challenge remains infrastructure and sponsorship, particularly for specialised equipment.
“The big problem is sponsorship. Table tennis needs specialised equipment. BTTA does assist with balls, nets and tables, but it is not enough. We need corporate support,” Khamfore added.
Despite that, the turnout of 84 players across age groups was seen as a strong sign of growth and expanding interest. “This is the first time we host the tournament in the north. The numbers are okay, and we believe we can grow it further and make it one of the biggest tournaments in the country,” he said.