Last weekend, the regional paddlers converged at Botho University Hall in Gaborone as they chased places at the 2024 World Table Tennis Championships. Eight teams including regional heavyweights, South Africa and Angola, alongside, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and the host Botswana competed during the three-day series held from June 30 to July 2.
But on home soil, Diteemane as the national table tennis team is called, was outshone as South Africa white-washed their opponents. South Africa’s dominance was on full display as the team bagged the men’s singles, women’s singles and the team events, making it a tally of four titles. Diteemane had to settle for the bronze medal in the team events and was the third-best team in the competition behind champions South Africa and Angola. Matlhatsi, however, believes his team was at par with their opponents.
He said they were let down by their technical approach as his side lacked mental strength. “I would say (between) our opponents and us there is not that much gap in terms of how our results came.
The (players) matched the standard of competition, but our opponents in terms of technical approach that’s where I would say they counter us and we have to work on it a lot.” “In terms of speed, I saw that my boys match them although we missed it in terms of finishing and concentration, the same thing that we lacked with my girls (concentration and finishing).
I was very impressed about the performance of the team; they showed pride and joy and they played to their level best,” Matlhatsi told Mmegi Sport this week. The Diteemane's top-ranked duo of Tshepiso Rebatenne and Constance Kuswani were unfortunate to fall in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles. Olorato Ramagapu was knocked out in the last 16 while Game Kebodiwang could not make it out of the group stages.
In the men’s section, Bakang Maloka and Tshenolo Mooketsi were also knocked out of the quarterfinals while Masa Lesole and Boago Malobela exited the competition in the last 16 round. South African, Luke Abrahams beat countryman, Chetan Nathoo to become the new regional men’s champion. A new regional champion also emerged in the women’s side, as Jade Sasman won against Angolan Ruth Tavares to clinch the title.
Diteemane will now turn their focus to the ITTF Africa Championship to be held in Tunisia this September. “Going forward, we have a lot to work on for the next stage at Tunisia in September. We are going back to the drawing board to rectify our mistakes and even improve technically in approaching sessions and competitions.
Lastly, we are going to work more in our preparation and with this crop of young boys and girls we are going to make it so that they can improve their or better their continental rankings,” Matlhatsi said. Meanwhile, the Botswana Table Tennis Association president, Kudzanani Motswagole has been elected as the new Africa Table Tennis Federation Southern Africa president during a congress held on the sidelines of the regional qualifiers.
