Botswana going for AST bowls gold in Zim
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday September 9, 2016 14:24
The Botswana 10-member team has five women and five men.
In the last edition of the AST that was held in Lusaka, Zambia, the women’s trips team of Obopile Ashby, Tirelo Buckley and Obakeng Gaborutwe won silver and were also ranked third overall out of five countries. Remmy Kebapetse won bronze in the men’s singles.
Botswana Bowling Association spokesperson, John Gaborutwe told Mmegi Sport that the tournament will commence over the weekend.
“This Region Five event would feature four main disciplines being singles, pairs, triples and fours for both men and women. Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe would compete for the coveted African trophy,” said Gaborutwe.
The women’s team is made of Buckley (Jwaneng Club), Nelly Senna (Phikwe), Mpopi Pelemo (Jwaneng), Doreen Moleleki (Orapa) and Binkie Gaborutwe (Phikwe). The team is managed by Gasegarona Pabalelo and coached by Jane Mitchell. Gaborutwe said the women’s team would be without the seasoned Tibone Fox and Ashby who were not picked for the first time since 1993. The women’s pairs are Buckley and Binkie, the duo were part of the team that won silver in Lusaka in 2015.
Binkie would earn her women’s singles debut while Buckley would skip the fours alongside Senna as will AST debutants, Moleleki and Pelemo. Senna will skip Moleleki and Pelemo in the women’s trips.
The men’s squad has Boitumelo Mosinyi (Jwaneng Club), Diane Senna (Phikwe), Charles Diteko (Jwaneng), Kabo Gaboutloeloe (Gaborone) and Timothy Morton (Gaborone). Regent Reid manages the team, with Elandri Collington as coach.
Gaborutwe said the team would be without Khumo Kebalatetse of Phikwe who is the 2015 men’s national singles champion, who was dropped after a difficult year.
The men’s pairs team is made up of Mosinyi and debutant Diteko. Mosinyi will skip the fours team playing with Senna, Morton and Diteko. The reigning Botswana men’s Masters Champion, Gaboutloeloe will represent Botswana for the first time in the men’s singles.
Gaborutwe and Kebalatetse have qualified for the Singles World Champion of Champions to be held in Australia in November.