02 Oct 2022

Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) mission to catch them young, through its grassroots programme, is bearing fruit.

It is against this backdrop that the association will send 10-year-old Reneilwe Lekorwe to Durban, South Africa to compete in the Under 11 category of the SA Junior and Senior Inter-Regional Championships October 4-8.

Reneilwe of Smash Maniacs Table Tennis Club leaves for Durban today.

Reneilwe’s selection followed his victory in the Under 12 boys’ category at the grand finale of the annual independence tournament that was held at Botho University on September 30.

In an interview, Reneilwe’s father and coach, Brown Sebokolodi, said his son developed the love for table tennis while watching him (father) and his elder brother and sister playing the game.

As a table tennis player and coach, Sebokolodi said his children accompanied him to practice sessions and tournaments and ultimately falling in love with the sport.

Sebokolodi, who is also a physical education teacher said Reneilwe’s elder sister, Wame Jawe, 20 was recently awarded a four-year scholarship by the India High Commission.

He said Reneilwe started playing table tennis in 2017 at one of the training camps at Kgamanyane Junior Secondary School in Mochudi and his prowess started showing off.

His maiden appearance in BTTA sponsored tournaments was in 2020. In an effort to groom his son, Sebokolodi said he had been sponsoring Reneilwe to take part in table tennis tournaments in South Africa where he played with his age mates.

For her part, BTTA public relations officer, Tshegofatso Malepa said the association, through the Re Ba Bona Ha programme, was working round the clock to introduce to young players.

Malepa said under tutelage of one of the coach Boitshwarelo Butale, Re Ba Bona Ha grassroots development programme was steadily gaining momentum.

Recently she said, BTTA introduced table tennis to Patikwane JSS where coach Butale was based.

“We believe the numbers will increase in due course as we traverse the country introducing the sport to children,” she said.

Malepa said through Re Ba Bona Ha programme, coaches in the sport were equally being empowered.

She said it was unfortunate to observe that the sporting code had limited coaches though hopeful of reaching desired heights as efforts were in place to develop it.

She also revealed that table tennis was gradually gaining the desired recognition and therefore receiving support from various stakeholders. Of recent, Malepa said table tennis seemed to have won the hearts of many in Metsimotlhabe.

She said through Joyland, a private school in Metsimotlhabe, BTTA was facilitating a development structure.

She said BTTA had advised the school to register and establish a table tennis club so that their players could actively partake in BTTA organised tournaments.

“After registering the club, BTTA will provide them with the necessary support,” she said. ENDS