Table Tennis to host Maun Open
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday May 29, 2026 13:23
The Maun Open is sponsored by Phoenix of Botswana Assurance and will see competition in the senior men's and women's singles. Winners of the competition will walk away P2,000 richer, with P1,200 set aside for second position, and semi-finalists will receive P600 each.
“We are hosting this tournament as we roll out our plan of hosting events outside Gaborone. Table Tennis is not about the city; there are many talented players out there who need exposure and support,” explained BTTA president, Kudzanani Motswagole.
“It is our responsibility as a National Sport Association (NSA) to make that happen. From Maun, we are going to Mabeleapudi and Letlhakane in July.”
He added that table tennis is doing well in terms of athlete development, hence it is not easy for the players to be selected into the national team.
According to Motswagole young players are not afraid of taking on senior players, in some instances, knocking them out. The BTTA president revealed that some of the players expected at the Maun Open include Tshepiso Rebatenne, Carol David, Reneilwe Lekorwe, Boitumelo Nkele and Bakang Maloka.
Meanwhile, BTTA will host the World Table Tennis Youth Contender from November 11 to 14 at Botho University in Gaborone.
The event will give young local athletes exposure to high-level international competition. The championship will involve both boys and girls from Under-11 to Under-19. The event carries prize money of P14,000. Motswagole said the event's Local Organising Committee (LOC), chaired by Dhana Ramasamy, has been appointed. Ramasamy is also the president of the Botswana Tamil Cultural Association Trust (BTCAT). “Our plan is to raise as much resources as possible. It is not easy to host a world event; it comes with costs, and we cannot depend on the government. “We should mobilise the private sector to assist us, and we are hopeful that the event will be successful. The World Table Tennis Youth Contender is not only about BTTA, but it is about the entire country, and all sectors must be involved,” Motswagole said. He said they are also preparing junior and senior national teams for the upcoming Africa Youth Championships to be hosted in Ghana in July, the Regional Championships in Harare, still in July and the Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi, India, from July 27 to August 4.