BTTA puts elite 24 under pressure in Super League
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday September 25, 2026 11:52
The league, which is to run from September to March, features 24 players being 12 men and 12 women, drawn from the country's leading ranks, with senior and junior national team players set to compete in the same competition. The new season will be officially launched on Saturday at Game City Mall, by the Nando's escalators, as BTTA takes the sport into a public space in an effort to improve its visibility and attract new audiences.
BTTA public relations officer, Tshegofatso Malepa, said the decision to limit the field to the top 12 ranked men and 12 ranked women was aimed at creating a concentrated and highly competitive environment.
“The decision to invite the top 12 ranked men and 12 ranked women is intended to create a highly competitive elite platform where Botswana's leading players can consistently compete against one another,” Malepa told MmegiSport.
She explained that the structure also brings together players from the senior and junior national teams, creating an important opportunity for established players to compete alongside and against the emerging generation.
BTTA has already seen the benefits of exposing juniors to senior competition, with some young players beating their more experienced opponents and producing unpredictable results.
“This is a positive development because it challenges the established players while giving the juniors confidence and valuable experience against stronger opposition,” Malepa added.
She said that BTTA expects the intensity of domestic competition to raise the overall standard of elite table tennis and ultimately translate into stronger performances when Botswana's players compete at regional, continental and international level.
The Phoenix Assurance Super National League was introduced in 2022 and has since become part of BTTA's elite competition programme.
The association has used the competition to provide leading players with regular high-level domestic competition.
The league took a break in 2024 before returning, with BTTA now placing greater emphasis on consistency and creating a longer competition window.
Malepa stated the association had learnt important lessons from the previous editions, particularly around the need for consistent fixtures and ensuring players have sufficient opportunities to compete at a high level throughout the season.
“The introduction of juniors into the league has also been an important development,” she said.
“We have seen young players challenge and beat senior players, creating unpredictable results and making the competition more competitive. It provides juniors with the exposure and confidence required to develop into future senior national-team players.”
For the 2026–2027 season, the competition has been structured to run from September to March, with matches scheduled during both midweek and weekends. According to Malepa, the longer programme was deliberate because it would keep national-team players actively competing between international assignments and help them maintain match sharpness.
“This scheduling approach is deliberate. It allows our national-team players to remain actively engaged in competitive table tennis throughout the season and maintain their match sharpness between international assignments,” she added.
The league is also expected to play an important role in preparing the junior national team, which still has more than four international competitions ahead.
“The league therefore provides an important domestic preparation platform where junior players can consistently compete against some of the country's strongest senior and junior athletes.”
The competition forms part of BTTA's wider high-performance pathway, allowing players to assess their progress, identify areas that require improvement and remain match-ready.
Performances will also provide BTTA with competitive data to monitor players' form, consistency and progression. However, Malepa stressed that the league would not automatically determine who makes the Diteemane squad.
“National-team selection remains subject to the association's established selection processes and criteria,” she said.
“The league should therefore be viewed as one important component of the broader high-performance pathway. Strong performances can help players demonstrate their readiness, but selection for international assignments will consider the applicable BTTA selection requirements and the specific demands of each competition.”
The new season also brings changes to the prize-money structure. Malepa said previous editions had provided monetary compensation to more finishing positions, whilst the 2026–2027 structure will concentrate prize money on designated positions.
The change, she said, is intended to make the rewards more performance-driven whilst ensuring that the competition remains financially sustainable. BTTA has also taken lessons from previous editions in areas including organisation, scheduling, player participation, promotion, and stakeholder engagement.
The continued support of Phoenix Assurance remains an important part of that process. Malepa said running a league of this nature requires resources for competition logistics, officiating, player incentives, prize money, promotion, and administration.
“The continued partnership with Phoenix Assurance is extremely important to the sustainability of elite table tennis in Botswana,” she added.
Malepa said the partnership also demonstrated how corporate support could contribute directly to athlete development by strengthening the domestic competitive structure and, ultimately, the national talent pool.
“By investing in a competition that brings together the country's leading players, Phoenix Assurance is helping to strengthen the domestic competitive structure and, ultimately, the national talent pool,” she said.
For BTTA, having a long-term partner also provides stability and allows the association to plan beyond individual events.
“We greatly value the confidence Phoenix Assurance continues to show in Botswana's table tennis development,” she noted.
The decision to launch the league at Game City Mall is similarly part of BTTA's effort to broaden the sport's reach.
Malepa said table tennis activity traditionally takes place largely at sporting venues and clubs, limiting its exposure to people who do not ordinarily attend competitions.
“Taking the sport into a busy public space allows us to engage people who may not ordinarily attend a table tennis event,” she said.
The association also hopes to use the launch to showcase the skill, speed and competitiveness of table tennis whilst creating awareness around its elite players.
“For BTTA, visibility is an important part of growing the sport. “We want people to recognise our players, understand the opportunities available in table tennis and, importantly, inspire young people to take up the sport,” Malepa said.
BTTA's measure of success will extend beyond the eventual league champions.
By March, the association wants to have delivered a well-organised and competitive league, maintained strong participation amongst the country's leading players, achieved measurable improvement in the standard of play and increased public interest in table tennis.
“Ultimately, the goal is not only to crown league champions, but to strengthen Botswana's elite table tennis pathway and produce players who are better prepared to compete at regional, continental and international level,” Malepa said.
The 24-player field
Men: Bakang Maloka (BDF TTC), Boago Malobela (Nhabe TTC), Tshireletso Samuel (BDF TTC), Thato Kgongwana (Bontleng/Ithuteng), Reneilwelwe Lekorwe (Smash Maniacs), Botshelo Sita (Bontleng/Ithuteng), Tinashe Dzvaka (Bontleng/Ithuteng), Mompati Chabe (BDF TTC), Tirelo Tshipinare (Dithubaruba TTC), Moathodi Bakwadi (Phakalane TTC), Kealeboga Gosenyamang (Nhabe TTC), and Thobo Matlhatsi (BDF TTC).
Women: Tshepiso Rebatenne (Nhabe TTC), Hetweg Chisenga (Nhabe TTC), Olorato Ramagapu (Dithubaruba TTC), Boitlamo Nkele (Bontleng/Ithuteng), Carol David (Bontleng/Ithuteng), Briannah Mogaladi (Bontleng/Ithuteng), Stephney Batsholeng (Bontleng/Ithuteng), Tsholofelo Gaokgalemelwe (BDF TTC), Constance Kuswani (BDF TTC), Masa Motlhabane (Maikano Project), Game Kebodiwang (BDF TTC), and Sibongile Six (BDF TTC).