Inaugural Motor Centre netball tourney kicks-off

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Friday July 2, 2010 00:00

 

Motor Centre Group who previously sponsored the netball league has availed P100,000 to finance the two-day event. The tournament is meant to be held annually. This year's edition will be used to select a 12- member national team to represent Botswana at the World Cup qualifiers in September.

BONA president, Tebogo Lebotse, said the tournament is long overdue as one of the association's long-term plans has been to have a competition that can be used to select a national squad. She said the tournament will give national team players intensive practice as what they get from the league is not enough.

Three teams will compete in this year's tournament after the fourth side - from South Africa - cancelled its participation at the last minute. Twenty players from the expected 40 that will participate in the tournament will be selected to the national team for the Africa World Cup qualifiers. The squad will then be trimmed to 12 players.

'This (trimming the squad) will motivate players to perform at their best level because they will be replaced if they under-perform,' she said. African countries that will participate in the World Cup qualifiers alongside Botswana are Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, Uganda, Namibia, Zambia and Swaziland.