School commitments cripple netball preparations
Tlotlo Kebinakgabo | Friday January 27, 2017 15:06
Speaking to Mmegi Sport yesterday, Lebotse-Sebego said the preparations are going well although there are interruptions.
“Our main challenge is that some of the members are students of which means we cannot always keep them in camp as we do not want to disturb their studies,” she said.
Lebotse-Sebego said the team went into camp on January 3 and were released on the 17th.
“However, there are some players who are still in camp as they are out of school. They stay at the athletes village. Our next camp is scheduled for February 1 to 21.
It will be made up of the out of school players and those released by their schools,” Lebotse-Sebego, who is also the African Netball president, said. She said they have selected 23 provisional players, but only 12 are needed for the World Cup.
“We intend to trim our team to 12 by the end of May as that’s the number needed,” she said. The team is under the tutelage of two local coaches, Setshedi Botlhole Mmopi and Kagisano Mawela. BONA has roped in Kate Carpenter as technical advisor.
“She is not currently in Botswana as she joins the team only when it is in camp. She is going to be available for our next camp,” Lebotse-Sebego added.
She said they intend to go for a three-week training camp abroad sometime in June with Australia and Singapore the targeted countries. The team has three players who are based in Australia.
NWYC will be held in Gaborone from July 8 to 18, 2017 with Botswana being one of the four African countries that will represent the continent.
The other three are South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.