Gaborone will come to life next week as Botswana hosts a first ever continental table tennis tournament, the 2024 ITTF-Africa Youth Championship.
The Youth Championship will run from July 15-21 with the Botho University Multi-Purpose Hall the epicentre of action while the Game City Rooftop Parkade will host some of the games. The Game City would also be used as the main training and warm-up area. Alongside, the Junior Diteemane, at least nine other countries will battle for African glory at the week-long tournament. Egypt, Tunisia, Benin, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Togo, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa have confirmed their participation. To kick-off the festivities, the Botho University Multi-Purpose Hall this week hosted Continental Hopes and Challenge Week, a training camp that started on Tuesday and ends on Saturday. The activity is conducted by English coach, Ever Jeler. Meanwhile, the Youth Championship will feature the Under-15 and Under-19 age groups that will compete in the team events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories.
The Junior Diteemane has assembled a nine-member Under-15 squad led by top-ranked junior male player, Reneilwe Lekorwe. The youngster is enjoying a stellar season on the local and regional shores. He earlier this year became the only local player to compete in the Gauteng Open Championship held in South Africa. Lekorwe was knocked out of the singles early in the competition but managed to settle for a silver medal position in the junior doubles alongside Ruan Scholtz of South Africa. He is part of the Under-15 team that also has Thato Kgongwana, Tebogelo Dipeba, and Kgotla Thebeyame. The Under-15 girls' team is made up of Boitlamo Nkele, Lillian Tsiaka, Gabriela Tsiaka, Kgotso Keotsere, and Masa Motlhabane. In the Under-19 girls team, Charity Moleele, Tshegofatso Buisanyang, Brianah Mogaladi, and Asante Motsamai will represent the country while the Under-19 boys’ team is made up of Tebogo Kotopo, Gofaone Dzaka, and Agobakwe Sebetlela.
With the continental eyes on Botswana, the Junior Diteemane would hope for a better showing. The local teams across all the age groups have never made it into the knockout rounds of any continental tournament as Junior Diteemane eye a spot in history. Spots for the ITTF World Junior Championship are also up for the taking in the Africa Youth Championship. See the team's profiles on Page 39
