Table tennis mourns �loving Tshidi�
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday January 27, 2017 15:06
Upon receiving the distressing news, fans across the country quickly sent their condolences on social media, with some expressing how they could not come to terms that their favourite player has departed while some celebrated her life.
Born 37 years ago, Tshidi is undoubtedly the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) on the local scene. She fell in love with the sport more than 20 years ago, and was the longest member of the BTTA both as player and a trainer.
Tshidi was the reigning Cerciliat Construction and Planet Hire league champion. As a player, she got her first senior national call up when she was just 19 years of age.
She finished 11th at the 1998 African Women Championships held in Cairo, Egypt. Tshidi went on to win a silver medal at the Zone XI championships, in the same year she was nominated for the then Botswana National Sport Council (BNSC) Sports Woman of the Year award.
The Shashe-Mooke native bagged a gold medal in the Tri-Nations that comprised Botswana, Lesotho and Zambia in 2002.
Among her memorable achievements with the national team, Tshidi won bronze and silver at the 2007 and 2009 Zone VI championships respectively. She was also part of the team that finished 10th at the 2010 All Africa Games.
She was the women club champion for two consecutive seasons in 2012 and 2013.
Tshidi took up coaching in 2013, and was awarded the BTTA level two star, which is the highest coaching badge in the country.
Due to her diligent work and passion for the sport she was roped in as an assistant coach for junior national teams.
She won bronze and silver in the 2014 Rustenburg Open in the team events. In the same year, she guided the boys’ team to a silver medal at South African Open held in Bloemfontein. Some of her teammates and opponents, including number one ranked Boitshwarelo Butale and Tshepiso Rabatene (number two) were overcome with grief to comment. BTTA competitions secretary, Kudzanani Motswagole was still at pains, describing Moses as a great loss to the whole table tennis family. He described her as great leader and loving person who always had time to help to those in need.
“She was a good person. She was both fantastic as a player and as a coach. In Tshidi we have suffered a big loss, we will miss and remember her,” Motswagole said.
Fact File
Full Names: Matshidiso Osi-Moses
Date of Birth: 17.09.1979
Date of Death: 21.01.2017
AGE: 37 years
Place of Birth: Shashe-Mooke
Place of Death: Gaborone
Sport: Table Tennis
Sport Club: Smash Maniacs Table Tennis Club