Itekeng-diphatsa clash called-off as tempers flare
Shingirai Madondo | Monday July 14, 2014 15:09
As tempers flared and things threatened to get out of control, the match commissioner, Bapoga Nshakazhogwe called off the game.
The two teams were in Serowe to honour the Mascom Volleyball League fixture. With both sides desperate for maximum points to increase their chances of participating in the Top Eight competition, the duel was an explosive affair that threatened to turn into a full-fledged punch-up.
The game started well for Diphatsa, which won the first two sets. In the third set, Itekeng complained about some of the decisions that the referees had taken. Itekeng had realised a rotational foul from Diphatsa and approached Nshakazhogwe to complain. The game was temporarily stopped because of the complaint. Meanwhile the players started spiking balls around as they wait for a decision to be made. In the process, towering Nelson Nkhwinya hit a ball that fell next to Itekeng head coach, Director Neo Lebetwa, who was sitting on a chair.
Upon enquiring, Lebetwa was informed that Nkhwinya was on a mission to hurt him. Lebetwa approached the match commissioner and pleaded with him to make Nkhwinya to apologise.
“I wanted Nkhwinya to apologise because I was reliably informed that he deliberately wanted to hit me with the ball. For what, I do not know. So I just wanted him to come to me and apologise to show that he was remorseful,” said Lebetwa.
However, Nkhwinya refused to apologise and the matter seemed to have ended. But a melee ensured soon after another Diphatsa player allegedly hit a ball that hurt an Itekeng player.
Itekeng players and the rest of the technical bench confronted the players, who were allegedly provoking them with balls. The furious Itekeng players charged towards their Diphatsa counterparts a bid to beat them.
A handful of Diphatsa players and the match commissioner had to work overtime to prevent a fight and tempers flared.
The match commissioner, Nshakazhogwe, who is the deputy Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) games organising chairperson, called off the match. However, he could not be drawn into discussing the matter.