Local star Letsile Tebogo made history for Botswana and Africa by defeating De Grasse in the 200m, sweet revenge after finishing second in the men’s 100m. Tebogo broke the men’s 200m record, clocking 19.50 during the Budapest World Athletics Championships, becoming the first sprinter from Africa to win a medal (silver 100m and bronze 200m) at the World Athletics Championships. His outstanding performance earned him a Presidential Order of Meritorious Service award.
Tennis: The association was exceptionally active this year, hosting six international tournaments and expanding tennis to new locations such as Gantsi and Kgalagadi. Recognised by the Confederation of Africa Tennis (CAT) for the best development programmes in Africa and by ITF for the best development programmes in Southern Africa, the code received accolades. Star players, Denzel Seetso secured a tennis scholarship in the USA, Ntungamili Raguin triumphed in the Africa Junior Championships, and Ekua Refilwe Youri continued to shine in Europe. Noteworthy players emerging this year include Mark Nawa, Seabo Saleshando, Esi Molefe, and Chelsea Chakanyuka. Tennis umpire Gaone Poane officiated at the Wimbledon and the French Open.
Table Tennis: The BTTA had a successful year, moving up from tier four to tier two in the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) funding model. Amongst the top three national sports codes in the Botswana awards, Table Tennis secured long-term sponsorships from Phoenix Assurance Botswana and Stag International. Additionally, a sponsorship deal with First Capital Bank Botswana was signed.
Cricket: Both the men's and women's teams demonstrated their prowess in the 2023 Africa Cricket Association (ACA) T20 Southern and Central Region qualification tournament. The men's team secured victory, earning a spot in the final of the ACA Africa T20 finals. The women's team reached the finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Division 2 qualifiers, showcasing an exceptional performance that qualified them for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Division 1 qualifiers in Uganda.
Swimming: The association underwent elections, resulting in Kgaotsang Mathews winning the presidency by a significant margin. The national swimming teams participated in international championships such as the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships and Africa Aquatics Junior OWS Championships, setting new personal bests (PB) despite not securing any medals.
Cheerleading: Breaking barriers, the code successfully hosted national championships and is now gearing up for the 2024 Africa Cheerleading Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.
Struggling codes Chess: The current executive committee faced challenges, failing to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Resignations, including those of the vice president-technical Moses Khutsafalo, vice president-administration Jeremiah Dikgang, and PRO Dave Motshabi exacerbated the situation. There was no league and the federation failed to host the prestigious Botswana Open tournament. There has been pressure for the executive committee to quit. However, their term in office runs until 2025. Despite these issues, the BCF affiliates hosted various tournaments, including the ongoing Besa Masaiti WIM Norm tournament hosted by the Rock and Roll Chess Club.
Netball: A challenging year for the Botswana Netball Association (BONA) with difficulties in securing league sponsorships. The senior women's national team failed to qualify for the Netball World Cup 2023 held in Cape Town, in July. The code, coached by Jenny Van Dyk, struggled during the Africa World Cup qualifiers, failing to reach the semifinals. Botswana maintained its position at 23 out of 44 countries in the rankings. Zambia and South Africa won the men’s and women’s titles, respectively, in the 2023 Africa Netball Cup hosted by BONA.
Boxing: Facing tough times, the sporting code grappled with the expulsion of the International Boxing Association (IBA) by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Local boxers are yet to qualify for Paris, France, after a disappointing performance in the Africa qualifiers held in Dakar, Senegal. The team has not registered a single point. The workload is on Rajab Mohammed and Keamogetse Kenosi who are attempting their last qualifications.
Volleyball: A quiet season for volleyball with no league action and continued challenges in securing sponsorships. Botswana sent some clubs to the Zone VI Club Championships in Lesotho. Kutlwano women managed to snatch silverware. In the men’s category it was a tough day in the office coming back without a medal. Beach Volleyball men continue their efforts to qualify for Paris 2024.
Softball: The code faced challenges after parting ways with BoFINET, resulting in the absence of a league. Even flagship softball tournaments like the Jwaneng Easter tournament, Phikwe Extravaganza, and Archein Hardware Independence suffered. Despite this, the senior women's national team competed in the WBSC World Cup but experienced tough losses, finishing second during the qualifiers held in Gaborone.
Karate: Internal issues persisted, with the secretary-general Othusitse Tshepang Dick suspended and an ongoing legal battle between the Tshepho Bathai and the Mpho Bakwadi committees, with the next appearance set for February 2024. Karate Hall handover has not been finalised and affiliates are yet to be issued with audited financial reports. Karatekas expressed frustration over unpaid allowances, but a team of three athletes brought medals from the UFAK Africa Karate Championships. The team comprised Kao Nsala, Gabriel Molefe, and Lefika Mooketsi.
Basketball: The code faced a dormant period with no league action, except for Dolphin hosting Group D of the 2023 Road to BAL. No notable developments were reported for Handball, Korfball, Traditional Games, and the Horse Society, as these codes did not attend the last BNSC AGM.
Worst moments Athletics: Nijel Amos, a 2012 Olympic silver medallist in the men's 800m, faced a three-year ban for doping, testing positive for the banned substance GW1516 last year. Despite receiving a reduction in the standard four-year ban for admitting to the charges, Amos will miss the Paris Olympics in the coming year. Another athlete (name??) was dropped from the Budapest World Athletics Championships team due to a positive test.
