Bowling team returns from Zim bruised

MOGOMOTSI BUZWANI
Correspondent | Tuesday August 24, 2010 00:00

This was a below par performance considering last year's bronze medals clinched by both the men and women's teams.

Botswana Bowling Association (BBA) public relations officer and ladies singles player, Lebogang Mascarenhas said they are disappointed with their performance.

Mascarenhas entered the tournament as a favourite following her top ranking in Africa. The men's singles team finished sixth; fourth in the pairs and fours.

Overall, the men's team came fifth out of the seven participating countries. This was a reversal from their third finish last year.

The woman's team were fifth overall after a fourth place finish in the singles and position six in the trips, pairs and fours.

'We did not play according to our plan and we are really disappointed. We used two new players in the ladies team and I think that worked against us,' she said.

Mascarenhas said the captains cited lack of concentration as the main reason for the national teams' poor performance.

'We realised that players, particularly men, lacked concentration,' she said.

The national squad that represented Botswana in Zimbabwe included five women and five men.

In the women's team, Ivy Morton, Tirelo Buckley played the pairs, Mascarenhas played in the singles while Obie Mosimanyana, Nellie Senna joined Mascarenhas for the trips. The fours had Morton, Senna, Mosimanyana and Buckley.

The men's squad included Newman Motshidisi (singles), Remmy Kebapetse and Oabona Motladiile (pairs). Kitso Robert, Motshidisi and Boitumelo Mosinyi played the trips, while the fours comprised Robert, Kebapetse, Motshidisi and Motladile.

Hosts Zimbabwe won the tournament followed by South Africa and Namibia. Botswana was fourth ahead of Zambia, Swaziland and Lesotho.

The Botswana team's morale will be dented by the loss ahead of their participation at the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi, India, in October.