30 Nov 2022

Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) has received P100 000 sponsorship from different companies for the international open tournament to be held next month at Jwaneng Debswana Club Hall.

The association’s long standing sponsor, Phoenix Insurance Botswana, contributed P35 000 while Wepex Geological gave out P5 000 and Aqualogic Consultancy and Rosedale Holdings each gave out P10 000.

Isherwood and Associates as well as Cowburn Sherwood also donated P20 000 each.

Countries expected to participate in the tournament are the hosts, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.

The tournament will have Under 12, mixed doubles, doubles, singles, senior men and women.

Speaking at the unveiling of the sponsorship in Gaborone on Tuesday, the president of BTTA, Kudzani Motswagole, said the sponsorship was a milestone achievement that would enable the association to execute its mandate and meet the interests of  players.

“We are indebted to these different stakeholders. Part of the money will be used to cover up logistics of the upcoming tournament and the other will be channelled towards activities such as nurturing and scouting new players, especially in primary schools so as to develop and bring in growth to the sport code,” he said.

He said in efforts to develop table tennis at the grassroots level, the association has launched the sport code in primary schools in rural areas such as Nata, Maposa, Lepashe, D’Kar and Ghanzi. He said the necessary equipment for the sport was also donated. 

For his part, the acting manager at Botswana National Sports Council, Mpho Segatsi commended all sponsors for coming on board to collaborate with BTTA, saying it would keep table tennis afloat despite rising challenges.

He added that table tennis was ideal for human development and that it needed support from different stakeholders to keep it alive and relevant. ENDS