Sport

�Tshidi� Laid To Rest

PAINFUL END: Osi- Moses' coffin carried to her final resting place at Phomolong Cemetry on Saturday PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
 
PAINFUL END: Osi- Moses' coffin carried to her final resting place at Phomolong Cemetry on Saturday PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

Different speakers described ‘Tshidi’ as a brave, hardworking and respectful person who was very passionate about ping-pong. Her uncle, Montshwari Osi described Tshidi as a lovely and ever smiling person. “That is why I learnt late that she was sick. She was always smiling and she loved dancing a lot,” Osi  said.

He said she was a very persuasive person who hardly lost an argument. Her friend, Game Mothibi said Tshidi was brave and not afraid of challenges. “That is why she was intending to stand for the (Botswana Table Tennis Association ) BTTA presidency,” Mothibi said.

“Many of us never thought of standing for presidential elections, but she did. She was brave.”

Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho said Tshidi’s death was a great loss not only to BTTA but to the nation at large as she was a passionate player who took her sporting career seriously.

“I once watched her playing, she was very serious but I was humbled by her gesture and respect when I gave her the medal after the game. She was a respectful person I just interpreted her in a wrong way,” Serufho, also speaking on behalf of the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) said.

He said the loss of Tshidi is not only for BTTA, but for the nation at large as she was a great table tennis player. Apart from table tennis, she was working at the University of Botswana as a Librarian, a post she held until her death.

She graduated with Master’s Degree in Library Information Studies in 2009.

She was also among the founding members of Library and Information Management Student Association at the UB.

 Born 37 years ago, Tshidi fell in love with the sport 20 years ago and was the longest serving member of the BTTA. She got her first senior national team call up at the age of 19.

The Shashe-Mooke native was serving as assistant junior national team coach and secretary for Smash Maniacs up to her departure. She represented Botswana at international competitions.

She won countless medals and accolades in table tennis as evidenced by the Cerciliant Construction and Plant Hire league title that she passed on holding. Moses was married to Gonna Moses and she is survived by her husband, daughter, mother, young sister, two nephews and a niece.