Botswana’s young 3×3 basketball players showed glimpses of potential despite finishing fourth in both the men’s and women’s categories at the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League 2026 Africa South Stop 3, held in Gaborone.
The tournament, which featured teams from Botswana, Egypt, Algeria, Madagascar and Angola, formed part of a six-stop, six-day conference, with the next conference scheduled to take place in Tunisia.
Botswana’s men’s team had the stronger showing of the two national sides, finishing third overall after winning one of their two games. The team, made up of Joshua Bongani Mbaiwa, Dingane O.K. Motswadira, Motheo Batsho Semausu and Maatla Tshweneygo, scored 23 points at an average of 11.5 points per game.
The women’s team, comprising Legakwa Happy Johannes, Sethunya Lorato Motsumi, Lame Moitheki Ntwayagae and Thabiso Abigail Odirile, finished fourth after losing both of their games and recording 24 points at an average of 12 points per game.
Egypt emerged as the dominant force of the stop, winning both the men’s and women’s competitions. Egypt’s Under-21 men’s team finished with a perfect 100 percent record, while its women’s team also won both games.
For Botswana Basketball Association Public Relations Officer Abaleng Lesego, the tournament exposed areas that the country needs to improve, particularly in the tactical understanding of 3×3 basketball.
Lesego shared that from their standing is that they are developing IQ for the format of 3X3, highlighting the difference between traditional five-on-five basketball and the faster, more specialised demands of 3×3.
She explained that the two formats require different rhythms, decision-making and understanding, suggesting that players may eventually need to specialise in either five-on-five or 3×3 basketball rather than continually switching between the two.
Botswana has already brought in technical expertise from France and Greece to assist with coaching and development, with the association expected to continue seeking experienced international expertise to help improve the country’s players and basketball structures.
The association is also looking to strengthen its talent identification structures, particularly in the North West, where officials believe there is significant untapped potential.
Lesego said the association plans to embark on a talent identification programme in the region, with visits planned to areas including Gumare and Shakawe. Teachers and local contacts are expected to assist in identifying young players with potential.
The Northern Basketball League remains one of the key structures through which talent can be developed, with teams encouraged to establish youth sides that can provide a pathway for future national team selection.
Although resources remain limited, the association plans to begin the talent identification initiative in the first week of August, with the number of villages visited dependent on the resources available during the current budget cycle.
Botswana currently sits fourth in the overall Africa South conference standings in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Egypt leads both categories, while Madagascar and Algeria occupy the other leading positions.
Despite the results, Botswana’s participation on home soil provided valuable exposure for its young players and highlighted both the potential available in the country and the technical work still required as the nation continues to build its 3×3 basketball programme.
