The Botswana Amateur Fencing Society (BAFS) sent a four-member team to the competition, having trimmed the number from an initial 12.
The BAFS cited a lack of funds for the decision to reduce the team, which saw the number of local elite fencers including women’s top-ranked, Aobakwe Modise and men’s number one, Koketso Masena miss out.
The trip needed nothing less than P350,000 and the BAFS could not raise the full amount. The country’s second-ranked woman fencer, Thabile Pilane has been left to carry the torch for a squad that is composed of junior fencers. Pilane started off her championship on a good note winning two contests against Australia and Scotland in the pools to advance to the elimination.
She was, however, knocked out in the elimination matches. Thanks to her splendid displays in the pool games, Pilane managed to get a podium position in the team events. She was placed third in the team events and got a championship ranking of 21 from a total of 41 fencers, to cap up an impressive international competition debut. From Pilane’s exploits, the local team went on to struggle on the strip.
Junior men, Lebone Mosinyi and Rethabile Mabaka failed to go beyond the pool stage and were eliminated without winning a match. Women’s Kaile Masuku was next and made her international debut in the junior women's epee.
Masuku had done well in the pools but she was knocked out of the contest in the elimination stage. On Wednesday, Mosinyi and Mabaka returned to the piste in the epee cadet category, however, despite the duo giving a spirited fight, they failed to proceed to the elimination round.
Masuku was in action by press time as team Botswana tried to salvage a position at the championship. The Commonwealth Fencing Championship started on August 9 and will end tomorrow (August 20).
The team is expected back home on Monday.
