BODA public relations officer, Thato Maphorisa said they expect a strong field to assemble in Orapa for the final selection. The selection will be held on Friday (today) and Saturday.
The qualifiers were held in Mogoditshane and Orapa a fortnight ago. During the selection in the south, three boys and three girls made it to the finals, while six women sailed through from a pool of 16. Out of 24 men in the qualifiers, eight made it to the final stage. Eight have qualified for the finals from the north. The final national teams will have eight players in the men's category, while six women will make it through. In the junior national teams, two boys and two girls will make the cut. Two veteran men and two women will be picked for the national team. The national team will represent Botswana at international competitions such as the PDC World Cup of Darts.
However, the first assignment will be the Region 5 championships set for Namibia. Despite being a broad field, some players are going into the qualifiers with an upper hand. Maphorisa said it is difficult to predict the winners in the women’s section. “The current national team players are the powerhouses for women’s darts. Those who have qualified, there is Ame Molaodi who scooped the first position during the northern selection. Bafedile Dube and Maipelo Raseila are expected to cause an upset.
They are likely to replace the top six in the national team,” he said. Maphorisa said there is nothing much to take home in the women’s veterans category. In the senior men, Kemonye Setlhalefi, who has been playing darts since the 1980s is expected to give his opponents a run for their money. In the last selection, he was absent due to work commitments. Players such as Mothusi Mookofi, Orateng Kamanga, Letlhogela Mosepele, Motsholathebe Kutoro, and Hilton Klein will set the pace in the senior men’s category.
The four players play online international leagues. Maphorisa said what makes darts interesting is that even an average player could cause an upset on the day. Maphorisa said they decided to host the selection in Orapa as a way of taking darts to the people. He said the plan is to always host events on a rotation basis.
