Tight affairs as Super League ends
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday June 16, 2023 11:34
The eight-round competition will conclude tomorrow at the Gaborone West Community Hall. The tournament features the top eight ranked paddlers from both the men's and women's categories.
They compete in a round-robin and ‘home and away’ pattern as match wins are allocated two points while losses record a point.
Moshupa Spinners’ Bakang Maloka looks on course to retain the title he won in the first edition of the Phoenix Assurance Super League in 2022. Maloka tops the standings ahead of the weekend’s games with 22 points with a 10-game win record while he lost just twice in the competition.
He will, however, need to bring his A-game to the table on Saturday as Smash Maniacs’ Boago Malobela and Thobo Matlhatsi of BDF Table Tennis Club are breathing on his neck.
Malobela and Matlhatsi sit second and third respectively although they are tied with Maloka on 22 points. The Moshupa Spinners' top athlete, however, holds a better point record.
Maloka will begin his final games at 9am with a contest against lowly placed Tiro Lesomo of Smash Maniacs. On paper, it looks like an easy tie for Maloka as his opponent is placed at the bottom of the standings.
Lesomo has managed just a single victory throughout the competition as he lost 11 times. His last defeat was at the hands of Matlhatsi in the midweek games. Maloka will proceed to take on top-ranked paddler, Tshenolo Mooketsi at 1pm in what will be the men’s 2022 Super League last action. It has always been a tight affair for the two Diteemane players.
Mooketsi has, however, found a bit of form late into the Super League campaign as he sits sixth in the standings. Maloka will be boosted by the 4-0 win over Mooketsi in the first leg. Matlhatsi and Malobela will clash in a must-win contest at midday. The duo will hope Maloka slips in his two games on the day and a win for either could ensure a Super League title.
It will be the duo’s last game in this year’s edition of the competition and their fate lies in their hands while they will have an eye on Maloka’s two games. Top-ranked Tshepiso Rebatenne of Nhabe Table Tennis Club has all but once again walked away with the Super League title in the women’s category. Rebatenne leads the rankings with 24 points from 12 games played.
She is unbeaten in this Super League campaign and her closest competitor can only accumulate 26 points. If she maintains her win record, Rebatenne will walk away with the title on 28 points. She faces fifth-placed Game Kebodiwang at 9:30am before she concludes her Super League campaign against second-placed Constance Kuswani at 1:30pm.
Kuswani and third-placed Olorato Ramagapu are in a battle for the runners-up place and will face off at 10:30am. The winners of the Super League will walk away with a P5,000 pay cheque.
Full Week 8 Fixtures
Men Bakang Maloka vs Tiro Lesomo @9am Masa Lesole vs Kola Modisaotsile @10am Tiro Lesomo vs Thapelo Molefi @11am Thobo Matlhatsi vs Boago Malobela @12am Tshenolo Mooketsi vs Bakang Maloka @1pm
Women
Tshepiso Rebatenne vs Game Kebodiwang @9:30am Constance Kuswani vs Olorato Ramagapu @10:30am Tshephang Motlhamme vs Emmah Lelatisitswe @11:30am Olorato Ramagapu vs Tshephang Kebodiwang @12am Tshepiso Rebatenne vs Constance Kuswani @1:30pm