BDF Club: Ping Pong's New Dominant Force
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday June 15, 2020 12:22
Former national and current number women’s one, Boitshwarelo Butale and Tshepiso Rebatenne, Under-18 men’s Sean Dekop and current men’s top ranked, Tshenolo Mooketsi and his predecessor, Thobo Matlhatsi all cut their teeth at the Mogoditshane army camp.
It was formally established in 1991 under the name SSKB Table Tennis Club which was later changed to BDF Table Tennis Club in 2002.
At the time, Gaborone-based Smash Maniacs dominated ping pong. The likes of the late Matshidiso Osi-Moses and former national champion Bonolo Mabote were untouchable on the table.
BDF Table Tennis Club has since won nine club championships and it is the current champions in the men’s team event category.
The club’s latest star, Mooketsi has since won all championships this season while BDF has always contributed immensely to the national team set up.
The club’s team manager, Kabo Mosarwe has attributed the club’s recent success to the military instilled discipline.
“The club’s performance is driven by its good sports leadership, and from management, commitment, determination to support, discipline from players is the key.
“Management usually provides the club with advanced training and playing equipment to sharpen skills of their players. Discipline plays a key role at the military club for us to achieve more,” he said.
Having served the club since 2002, Mosarwe said the club’s best players have always been poached by elite clubs.
For instance, the club lost talent such as Butale and Tirelo Tshipinare, amongst other.
Mosarwe has since acknowledged the proposed Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) player movement regulations.
Problems we currently face are of players moving from our club as we have realised that after we develop them, other clubs recruit them as we are the only developing team that can develop well competitive, disciplined and mouthwatering players, he said.
“Currently BTTA is working on player movement regulations as we are looking forward to them because we lose a lot. The other problem is of players after finishing tertiary as most players are posted to faraway places to work there and it becomes difficult and expensive for them to attend trainings and tournaments thus he/she end up quitting the game,” Mosarwe said.
BDF Club currently it has 23 players and four coaches. The club recently won the Gaborone Open Championship hosted a fortnight ago, as table tennis became the first sport to return to competitive playing.