The fourth edition of the Phikwe Open will be held at Mmadinare Senior Secondary School Multi-Purpose Hall on Saturday and has attracted Zambian and South African players. But it is Maphanga and Butale whose rivalry dates back to 2009 when the 2008 African Under-21 Cup champion (Maphanga) toured the country and faced the latter for the first time. The two then clashed the following year in Pretoria, South Africa where Maphanga also emerged victorious. Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) vice publicity secretary Tiro Motswasele confirmed Maphanga would compete at the tournament along with fellow South African Luke Abrams and Zambia's Friday Ngandu. Interestingly, Butale has maintained her grip locally, winning every tournament that local table tennis has had to offer.
The clash comes at a time when Butale is in the national team camp preparing for the Zone Six games scheduled for Lusaka, Zambia in December. Butale and her national teammates will use the Phikwe Open to prepare for the regional showpiece. The men's team consists of the Smash Maniacs' trio of Tiro Lesomo, Joseph Kgatlampane and Bonolo Mabote, Kanye's Rorisang Raesima and Thobo Matlhatsi of BDF. The women's team is also dominated by Smash Maniacs with the trio of Butale, Matshidiso Osi and Namibo Mbulawa. Oabona Raditloko of Dithubaruba and BDF's Tshepiso Rebatenne complete the five-member squad. Motswasele said the two-day Phikwe tournament will also be used to rank players for the national standings. The tournament will be divided into senior and junior categories with all events being single knockouts.
