Emmah Lelatisitswe and Bakang Maloka have been crowned the champions of the Phoenix As-surance Botswana Table Tennis Super League which started last year August and came to an end on the 21st February 2025.
Lelatisitswe from Nhabe Table Tennis Club emerged the champion in the ladies category while Maloka from BDF Table Tennis Club secured the tittle in the men’s category. Lelatisitswe and Maloka have walked away with P5, 000 prize money each.
The league which was sponsored by Phoenix Assurance to the tune of P57, 800 had attracted 12 players in both the ladies and men’s categories. The clubs that were represented include Nhabe Table Tennis Club, BDF, Bontleng/Ithuteng, Phakalane, Maikano JSS and Smash Maniacs.
Botswana Table Tennis Association Public Relations Officer, Tshegofatso Malepa has said the objective of the league was to keep players engaged and in form especially national team players in order to reduce financial constraints on the need for national team camps.
Malepa stated that the introduction of the Phoenix Assurance Super League in 2019 has proven to be a landmark development for table tennis in Botswana. She noted that as the first structured league of its kind, it successfully laid a solid foundation for consistent and competitive play.
Malepa added that the league has created a reliable platform where players could regularly test their skills, and more importantly, it brought a new level of organization, visibility, and professionalism to the sport.
“The league has set the tone for what a sustainable and progressive table tennis ecosystem in Botswana should look like. The impact on player performance and consistency has been significant,” she said.
According to Malepa, before the league, players largely depended on sporadic tournaments, which limited growth and match sharpness. She revealed that with the introduction of a structured season, athletes now compete regularly, allowing them to build rhythm, improve consistency, and better track their development over time.
Malepa said that this has resulted in more competitive matches, improved rankings credibility, and a noticeable rise in overall playing standards across the board.
“As with any inaugural initiative, there were challenges. Key among them was logistical coordination, player adaptation to a league format, and resource constraints such as venues and scheduling,” she said.
However, Malepa stated that these challenges were addressed through strong collaboration between the association, sponsors, and stakeholders.
She said that flexibility in scheduling, continuous engagement with players, and the support from Phoenix Assurance helped ensure the league ran successfully despite the initial hurdles.
Malepa noted that there have been clear and encouraging improvements in match fitness, tactical discipline, and competitive mentality. She added that regular competition has pushed players to maintain peak fitness levels and sharpen their strategies.
“Players are now more mentally resilient, better at managing pressure situations, and more tactically aware during matches. The introduction of junior players in 2024, who began competing competitively in 2025, has further elevated the intensity of the league, with some producing im-pressive upsets against senior players, demonstrating the effectiveness of this competitive structure,” she said.
Looking ahead, Malepa revealed that the long-term vision is to grow the Phoenix Assurance Su-per League into a fully professional and nationally recognized competition that continuously feeds talent into the international stage.
According to her, the league will serve as a key pipeline for identifying and nurturing players for continental and global competitions. Malepa highlighted that with sustained support, expansion of junior development, and increased investment, this platform is expected to significantly enhance Botswana’s competitiveness internationally, aligning with the broader ambition of making a mark at major events such as future Olympic Games.
