On-Form Rebatenne Wins Bronze In Bloem
Thato Kala | Monday July 14, 2014 15:09
Rebatenne went the furthest in singles’ events but lost 3-1 to South Africa’s national team star, Jade Sassman. Botswana national women’s coach, Tshepo Modisane said the Commonwealth Games-bound player went down fighting against the revered Western Cape ace.
“She fought hard to win the game as she is on top form. She was a marvel to watch and one could see that we have since narrowed the gap between us and our South African counterparts,” said Modisane on Saturday night.
Rebatenne told Sport Monitor that the Bloemfontein tournament presented a good platform for Botswana players to gauge their strength ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
She is convinced Botswana is not going to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to add numbers in but to compete strongly.
Botswana’s Under-17 boys also had a fine run in the doubles’ event when the pair of Tlotlo Kgosimore and Bakang Maloka got silver. But the senior men had a torrid time in a tournament that attracted 678 participants.
Apart from the hosts, the South Africa tournament attracted Namibians and Nigerians but none of them made significant progress like Rebatenne.
Botswana had sent 16 players for the annual championship which was hosted by the Free State Table Tennis Federation (FSTTF) in conjunction with the Department of Sport, Art, Culture and Recreation, Mangaung Metro Municipality and the Free State Sport Confederation.
The event consisted of two sections: the Inter-Regional and Open championship. The championship had four categories, the Under-12, 14, 17 and the deniors for both men and women.
Kudzanani Motswagole, an official who travelled with the Botswana team said he was upbeat that the players are geared up for Glasgow.
Table tennis will send six players to the Games that start on July 23. Team Botswana leaves today for Glasgow.
“We are on a mission to conquer the world and we are ready for any opponent that comes our way. We are now a very competent nation in as far as table tennis is concerned and I can assure everyone that we pose a threat in any competition,” Motswagole said.