LIFE AT THE TOP Local tennis No.1 reflects on the latest achievement
The recently released local tennis rankings have catapulted Smash Maniacs star, Boago Malobela, to the top.
The 24-year-old has upstaged his long-standing rival, Tshenolo Mooketsi, in the rankings released a fortnight ago.
An elated Malobela told Voice Sport that he was thrilled to be ranked Botswana’s top tennis player. He said it was not an easy feat for him as he started featuring in local competitions just seven years ago in 2013.
“When I started competing in various local tournaments in 2013, I was ranked 46th in the country. I improved through the years until I was in the top 16,” he said.
For the past two years, Malobela played second fiddle to Mooketsi, who had an iron grip on the number one spot. He, however, turned the tables this year, after an impressive performance which includes winning the recently held Grand Finale.
“Mooketsi is an amazing player. I admire him a lot. He respects the game and has been on top for quite some time. He’s one of the greatest players in the country, and going past him in the latest rankings was an honour,” said Malobela.
Although he admires his nemesis, Malobela models his play around his current teammate, Joseph Kgatlampane.
“I’ve always enjoyed the way Joseph played, and facing him has always been problematic for me despite that we’ve been training together for quite some time,” he said.
Malobela’s tennis started in 2010 under the tutelage of coach Lulu Mosojane who nurtured his skills and helped him on his way to the top.
“My biggest success, unfortunately, came very late in my career, when I was crowned Champion at the recently held Grand Finale. I was impressed with my display and can confidently say I deserved to win it,” he revealed.
Malobela disclosed to this publication that he is driven by the four C’s which are; Concept, Concentration, Consistency and Confidence. “These four C’s guide me to move forward as a player and as a human being - every drill or skill I work on or learn, I channel my energy towards these C’s, which has helped me to become a better player,” Malobela disclosed.