The Dung Beetles emerged victorious after walloping the Coastal Higher team 2-1 in the padel tournament finals held at the Maun BMC Sports Club over the weekend.
The Dung Beetles won a 2027 annual membership with BMC, a trophy, and a 12-pack of Windhoek beverages to celebrate post-match.
The second spot was secured by the Coastal Higher team, who walked away with a two-month training subscription and five bottles of Windhoek beverages.
Meanwhile, third position went to Dung Beetles 2, earning themselves a one-month training membership and five bottles of Windhoek beverages. The top three teams won gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively.
In an interview with Times Sport post-match, BMC Sports Club manager Laone Lekoko highlighted that this tournament was the first of its kind hosted so far, noting they wish to make it an annual event.
She outlined that this tournament targeted mainly corporate companies, adding that the six participants who registered for the tournament included Ker and Downey, Desert and Delta Safaris, Pride of Africa, Dung Beetles, Coastal Higher, and Follow the Tracks.
Lekoko mentioned that the padel sporting code, which combines squash and tennis techniques, is not very common in Botswana, explaining that they intend to uniquely introduce the sport to a wider audience.
The BMC Sports Club manager added that one of the challenges they faced while preparing for the tournament was sourcing equipment outside of Maun. She said padel balls and rackets are unavailable in Maun sportswear stores, indicating that they had to travel to Gaborone to purchase the materials needed.
Lekoko said it was easier for them to target corporates for the launch because corporations are able to assist with funding and donations toward the tournament preparations. She explained that BMC Sports Club relies mostly on donations and funding from eligible companies to organize various tournaments.
She highlighted that they experienced a satisfactory turnout from both participants and fans. Lekoko emphasized that alongside transforming the tournament into an annual event, they also want to introduce it at the grassroots level to groom young players into future professionals.
“We want to groom and mould professional players, to source talent from both locals and internationals currently residing in Maun from both grassroots and adults levels,” she said.
She mentioned that they offer diverse sporting codes, such as lawn tennis and basketball. “Despite offering various sporting activities, most people do not consider joining us, therefore we encourage the public to rather visit us and experience what we have in store for them, daily visits are allowed,” she stated.
Lekoko said most people think BMC Sports Club only accommodates specific groups, particularly wealthy families or white people, when in actual fact, this is not the case. She affirmed that everyone is welcome regardless of their background or income status.
She noted that their annual subscription fee amounts to 6,000 Pula.
