Table Tennis players win India scholarship
Three local Table Tennis players have been selected to pursue their academic courses in India under the aegis of ICCR Scholarships. This comes after the partnership between the Indian Embassy and the Botswana Table Tennis Association ( BTTA), first signed in 2019.
Esther Refilwe Mpotsang will study B Com. at Panjab University, Oratile Abigail Kedisaletse has been admitted for B. E. Civil Engineering at Gujarat Technological University while Moroke Kaone will study Production and Industrial Engineering at Delhi Technological University.
According to the BTTA Development Coordinator, Katlego Nkwakweng, all players were invited.
“We invited players who met the requirements which were set by the Association. These included visibility in the tournaments, having attained 36 points and above in their BGCSE certificates, and being below the age of 25.”
However, only eight players applied for the scholarship and the Embassy of Indian selected 3 who were awarded the scholarships. Nkwakweng said the three must maintain a good academic standing for the scholarship to continue. She said since they are pursuing their preferred area of study, they can also improve in the sport because India ranks high in Table Tennis and they can join clubs in India which will help them play a lot better.
Asked if the players will be vaccinated before leaving for India, Nkakweng said they will be guided by the bilateral relations between India and Botswana.
The Indian High Commission continues to fully fund players for high tech professional courses and a long term undergraduate or post graduate sponsorship in India. Local teenage sensation, Phetso Jack was the country’s first professional table tennis player to benefit from the initiative, following his move to India in March.
Jack is under a four- year partnership between the Botswana Table Tennis Association ( BTTA) and the India High Commission in Botswana. The Indian High Commission gives one young table tennis player the opportunity every year, over the next four years, a chance to pursue academics at a state university while playing the sport.