Exposure cost Botswana

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Thursday August 23, 2007 00:00

Mogege said that though some countries at the tournament have advantage in skill and capability, Botswana players should have done better. Botswana finished the tournament in sixth position out of seven countries.

'We are disappointed with the result because we had a good chance of winning a medal. Though the competition is tough, we should have at least finished in the third or fourth position,' Mogege said. Swaziland finished last while Zambia is in fifth position. South Africa, Mauritius, Egypt and Seychelles were to play the semi-finals to decide the top four at the time of going to press. 

'As this is the Under 19 tournament, you will realise that most of these players are students and they do not usually get much time to prepare for tournaments,' Mogege said.  He expressed hope that the local juniors will do well in the individual events taking place tomorrow. 'Looking at their performance in the team events, it is not promising but we will always be optimistic and hope that they will improve in the individual events,' he said. He added that court fright may have been another major setback for local players but he expressed hope that with the experience they have got from the team events, they will overcome the odds in the individual competitions. He said some of the players who did not get a chance to take part in the team events will go into action tomorrow. Nigeria was expected to arrive yesterday to take part in the individual events.