Botswana qualifies for netball World Cup

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Friday September 10, 2010 00:00

Besides Botswana, Malawi and South Africa are the other African representatives in the World Cup to be hosted by Singapore. Three countries qualify from each continent for the event. Malawi qualified automatically after finishing fifth at the 2007 World Netball Championships held in New Zealand while Botswana and South Africa made it after the qualifiers that started on Monday in Pretoria.

By Wednesday, Botswana had registered impressive wins over Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania and lost 54-38 to hosts South Africa. It was however crucial for Botswana to win against Lesotho yesterday as this was the game that determined their participation in the World Cup.

Botswana Netball Association (BONA) marketing and publicity secretary, Bakwena Oitsile, said they are impressed with the team’s performance.

He said a rapturous welcome awaits the players when they return, although he is unsure when they will arrive. The team will have to attend the qualifiers’ closing ceremony before returning home. 

“An unexpected number of teams showed up for the tournament and there has been a change in the schedule,” he explained.

Countries that contested for the two World Cup slots were Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.