Badminton team ejected
Despite the high expectations, Team Botswana has bowed out of the team events and individual competitions at the ongoing All Africa Senior Badminton Championship after facing tough competition from the second seeded Mauritius and a formidable South African squad.
In the ladies doubles, the pair of Tebogo Ndzinge and Tessa Kabelo made it to quarterfinals but lost to South Africa and failed to book a place in the semi- finals.
The Mixed doubles pairs all lost in the last 16 round. In the individual categories, Tebogo Ndzinge was off to a flying start on day one. She won 14- 21, 21- 12, 21- 10 against Mansard Silvie of Reunion Island. She took on Kobita Dookhee for a place in the quarterfinals but lost in the round of 16, cutting her tournament short. Tessa Kabelo also lost 15- 21, 15- 21 to Jemimah Leung Fo Sang of Mauritius in the round of 32. Tshepo Perekisi lost to fourth seeded Ahmed Salah of Egypt 1121, 17- 21 in the round of 32 after earning a bye in the round of 64. Tumisang Olekantse lost Aduonu Botwe of Ghana 21- 15, 12- 21, 19- 21 in the round of 32 after a bye in the round of 32. Speaking in an interview this week, Secretary General of the Botswana Badminton Association ( BBA), Thuso Mudungo, said given the standards and level of the competition, the team did relatively well, particularly that the ladies doubles pair reached the last 8 or the quarterfinals.
“The coach indicated that he couldn’t take anything away from how the team did, he would want to continue working with the team given that the team is relatively young and given time and more practice and coaching we could bring more results,” he said. Meanwhile, the team will return over the weekend and prepare to compete in the Annual Botswana International billed for the 25- 28 November 2021, preceding that will be a Badminton Confederation of Africa sanctioned, Regional Level 1 Coaching Course and Training Camp which will be hosted by Botswana Badminton.