Reneilwe Lekorwe and Boitlamo Nkele have been crowned the champions of the Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) Smash Botswana Junior Open Tournament that was held in Gaborone at Babusi Training Hall over the weekend.
The tournament that was sponsored by Phoenix Assurance Botswana attracted promising players from various clubs and development projects across the country, who participated in boys and girls under 18 singles.
Lekorwe from Smash Maniacs Table Tennis Club after defeating Thato Kgogwana of the Bontleng Ithuteng BTTA project in the final match, clinched the title with a 3-1 set win (11-6, 4-11, 11-4, and 11-9). In the girls’ category final match, Nkele of Bontleng/Ithuteng BTTA project smashed her teammate Carol David with a solid 3-1 victory (11-5, 11-8, 6-11, and 11-8).
The boys’ semi-final stage featured Gofaone Dzvaka, also from the Bontleng/Ithuteng BTTA project and Lefa Tsiaka of Maikano Junior Secondary School, both of whom delivered competitive performances throughout the tournament.
The semi-finalists in the girls’ division pitted Tshegofatso Buisanyang, also representing the Bontleng/Ithuteng BTTA Project and Gabriella Tsiaka from Maikano Junior Secondary School against each other.
BTTA President Kudzanani Motswagole applauded the players for their spirit and thanked Phoenix Assurance Botswana for their continued support in nurturing the sport at junior levels. He stated that the tournament reaffirmed the impact of BTTA’s grassroots development programs and highlighted the growing pool of young talent in Botswana’s table tennis scene.
Meanwhile, BTTA on the 9th May 2025 held a farewell ceremony for Coach Omoniyi Adedotun, marking the end of his impactful two-and-a-half-month training program with the junior national team.
Coach Adedotun, a seasoned Nigerian table tennis expert, was engaged by BTTA in March 2025 with the key mandate of preparing the junior team for the upcoming AUSC Region 5 Games scheduled to take place later this year in Namibia.
Adedotun’s highly productive tenure saw the junior squad sharpen their skills, discipline, and competitive edge. Under his guidance, the team did not only show tremendous growth but also delivered remarkable results at their first international competition, JTTA Joburg Open 202 where they bagged both gold and several silver medals, signalling a promising future for Botswana’s table tennis.
Speaking at the farewell event, BTTA President Motswagole appreciated Adedotun for his dedication and contribution to the growth of Botswana’s junior players.
“Coach Adedotun has laid a strong foundation. His work has brought us closer to our target of a podium finish at the Region 5 Games and aligns with our long-term Olympic vision,” he appreciated.
