Ketlhabanetswe bonds with the racquet

But in the midst of that silence, the sport code is producing some of the finest players and administrators who are also pushing their mandate across Africa. Amongst this crop of rising players is Godknows Ketlhabanetswe, who has found a bond with the racquet and has a special way of hitting a shuttlecock over the net.

Born in Tutume in the North East district, he started playing badminton at nine. The 25-year-old is the top-seeded player in the country and the best player in singles. “I grew up staying at Shanganano Junior Secondary School teacher’s quarters in Sebina, where my mother was a teacher," he explained