Ten grab table tennis national team berths
Naledi Lemogang | Tuesday March 7, 2017 16:29
There are still a further 10 slots up for grabs, which could be filled this weekend.
Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) competition secretary, Kudzanani Motswagole said the national team needs two quality teams and they are very careful during the selections. He said besides performance, they also consider the rankings of individuals.
“We are looking at the rankings of our players and some of the players we know that they are quality,” he said.
Motswagole cited Game Kebuemang whose ranking is low but the player made it due to her performances. He said her rankings are low as she did not play some of the tournaments last year due to other commitments but she is a quality player. Motswagole said for the last round selection, they expect more junior players to qualify as they are the future of the association. “Out of 44 participants, 27 were men and 17 were women. There are few women due to the generally low number of women in sport,” Motswagole said. He said he is concerned with women’s participation and urged them to up their game.
Tirelo Tshipinare was the toast of the qualifiers, defeating high profile players such as Bonolo Mabote and Joseph Kgatampane.
However, Motswagole observed that there was less improvement from the seasoned players, but was impressed with the turnout of newcomers.
The upcoming selections would be held at the Botswana National Youth Council with the same conditions for registration and playing format. Five players from each section would be selected to complete both the women’s and men’s national teams.
Selected players:
Women: Magdeline Tshephiso, Rebatenne, Boitshwarelo Zaza Butale, Game Portia Kedisaletse, and Olorato Ramagapu.
Men: Tirelo Stix Vuyo Tshipinare, Bonolo Mabote, Bakang Maloka, Masa Lesole and Thobo Matlhatsi.