Stage set for top 4 s�ball champs
Lekopanye Mooketsi | Tuesday March 17, 2015 12:12
The men’s teams that have qualified for the championships are defending champions BDF IX, Rail Giants, Panthers and Police IX. Rail Giants, which became the first men’s team to qualify on Saturday, is the only team that represents the North.
Dinare, which was in a devastating form, is leading the women’s teams. Other women’s teams that have qualified include Police IX, BDF IX and Wells.
To prove how tough the competition was during the Top 8 games, the men’s defending champions, BDF IX did not qualify until their last game on Sunday.
BDF IX’s final game against Vikings was a do or die affair for the army side. The soldiers had to win the game at any cost because their life depended on it.
Hence the soldiers employed their heaviest firepower to subdue a hapless Vikings. The president of the Botswana Softball Association (BSA), Tirelo “Scania” Mukokomani said he was impressed with the standard of the games.
He said the massive P1 million sponsorship by BoFINeT has generated high competition amongst teams.
“You could see that every team was targeting the P100, 000 first prize. All the teams gave it their best shot,” he said.
He added that even teams that did not proceed to the next stage of the competition went down fighting. He felt that there was no longer what was called big teams. He said there was no automatic qualification and everyone had to sweat for his/her money.
He pointed out that a top side like Wipers has failed to qualify for top 4, adding that this showed how tough the competition was. Mukokomani said the high level of competition was mostly noticed in the women’s team. He said overall, things went well at the Top 8 games, adding that even the attendance was impressive.
“We expect to get more larger crowds during the top 4 championships,” he said. BDF IX menís coach, James Moremedi said it was clear that all the teams were well prepared for the Top 8 hence the level of competition. Moremedi sounded a warning shot that they were intending to defend the title. He said they were going back to the drawing board to prepare for the championships. “We must be consistent and work on our batting,”he said.
Panthers men’s coach, Meshack Bonang shared the same sentiments that the level of competition was high.
As the number one team in their bracket, they are going to face Rail Giants and then the winner in this game will be going straight to the finals.
Bonang said they were ready for the next stage of the competition. He said it has been long time since they won silver ware and hence were targeting this lucrative cup. He said if they won, it would also inspire young players in their team.