29 Dec 2014

The year 2014 was undoubtedly one of the most successful in sports generally and athletics specifically.

Most of the local athletes came out of their shells to prove their mettle internationally.
 Nigel Amos and Isaac Makwala led the assualt and their good work was even noticed by President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama who noted in his State-of-the-Nation Address that while they consolidated their status as global sport stars, “there are many others also worthy of mention,” adding that “we are working towards further growing these numbers by implementing different sport development initiatives.”


The highlight of the year was probably when Amos won gold medal in 800m at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. He continued his remarkable performance in Switzerland where he claimed the IAAF Diamond League trophy.

As if that was not enough, Amos continued his winning streak at the African Senior Championships where, together with Isaac Makwala, he won a gold medal.


Badman, as Makwala is called, was another athlete who brought glory to Botswana by winning the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) and set a new record.

His best performance was in July at the La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland where he doubled in 400m and 200m in less than two hours and won the two races. 


Junior athletes, Karabo Sibanda and Baboloki Thebe also won gold medals at the 2^nd Africa Youth Games, and continued their good performance at the Nanjing Youth Olympics by claiming silver medals.


However, the golden girl of Botswana sport, Amantle Montsho tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended from athletics for two years.



Football:
A lot has happened in this code as the Botswana Football Association has endured a turbulent year marred by a series of controversies from the resignation of top officials and the suspension of others.

Tariq Babitseng was charged with misappropriation of funds while Benny Kgomela was also suspended only to be reinstated after seven days.
 The association appointed Peter Butler as national team coach and the Englishman has endured a mixed year.

He guided the Zebras to impressive results during the preliminary rounds of the 2015 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers, but the team fared dismally in the group stages and failed to secure a spot in the finals that would be held next month in Equatorial Guinea.

The Zebras finished bottom of Group G with a single point having scored only one goal. They failed to win a single game out of six group stage fixtures and conceded 11 goals.


In the domestic front, Township Rollers were on fire, going through the first round of the beMOBILE Premier League unbeaten and finishing top of the log. Overall the team went the whole year without defeat in league matches, a record which stretches to 43 matches. 


Rollers won the league in June while Tafic, Miscellaneous and Uniao Flamingo Santos were relegated to the first division. Sankoyo Bush Bucks became the first team from the North West District to win promotion to the elite league, together with Letlapeng and BR Highlanders.

Notwane chairman, Arnold Somolekae was elected chair of the Botswana Premier League board. The deputy chairperson is Monnakgotla Mojaki of FC Satmos while Walter Kgabung of Township Rollers was elected treasurer. Additional members are Sydney Magagane of Letlapeng and Lucky Buisanyang of BR Highlanders.


Softball: It was a good year for Botswana Softball Association as Botswana Fibre Network (BOFiNet) agreed to sponsor the softball league with P1 million. The sponsorship covers key activities such as administration and running of the development programme.

Another milestone for the association was the conclusion of an agreement with Phillips International and Sharps Electrical to erect floodlights at the National Diamond.


However, softball received a blow in August when the senior ladies team performed dismally at the World Championships in Netherlands.  They won a single match by beating Great Britain and lost the rest to USA, Dominican Republic, Italy and Chinese Taipei. 



Boxing: It was a successful year for boxing as our national teams amassed medals in international competitions.

The junior team went to Cameroon for the Africa Youth Championships where Ogaketse Kutlwano, Ontlogetse Qaate, Otukile Mahummed, Atang Mosenke won silver medals while female boxer Koketso Dipugiso claimed bronze. During the same month, the senior team competed at the Zone 4 in Pretoria where Kagiso Bagwasi and Keneilwe Rakhudu won gold medals and Pearl Morake, Mmusi Tswiige, and Thabang Motsewabeng settled for silver.

The trio of Robby Botshelo, Tirafalo Seoko and Kabelo Bagwasi scooped bronze medals.


The junior team made the country proud during the 2014 African Youth Games in Gaborone where Mahummed and Keamogetse Kenosi won gold medals while Kutlwano, Dipusiso and Katlego Olatotse won bronze medals.

Boxing brought home some medals from the Boxing Africa Cup in South Africa in June courtesy of Mooketsi Lekgetho who pocketed silver while the trio of Oteng Oteng, Kagiso Bagwasi and Morake grabbed bronze.


Nevertheless boxing performed dismally at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games as the boxers were knocked out in the preliminary round.



Netball:
The netball senior team failed to take advantage of home ground in August and missed on the opportunity to secure a spot at the 2015 Netball World Cup in Sydney.

Botswana was thrashed by Uganda and Zambia in the Africa World Cup qualifiers in Gaborone as they settled for the third spot.


Nevertheless all was not lost for Botswana as the team will also jet to Sydney to participate in a development tournament which runs concurrently to the World Cup of which the fifth best countries from all continents will compete.


The team recently returned from Singapore where they scooped a bronze medal in the Singapore Nations Cup Tournament.
2014 was perhaps a year of bronze for netball as the junior team also pocketed double bronze from the African Youth Games and the just ended African Union Sports Council Region Five Youth Games in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.


Volleyball:
 2014 was a year during which Kutlwano ladies blew away all opposition in front of them. The team claimed the Zone 6 championships by beating Mafolofolo 3-1 in an all-Botswana final this month.

Kutlwano ladies also ruled the roost in the local front this year as they claimed the fabled double by winning the league and the Capital Motors Independence Cup. 


Cricket:
 Botswana Cricket Association continued with its effort to spread the sport around the country. The association held youth development regional tournaments in the southern and northern parts of the country.

Botswana hosted the under-19 cricket girls quadrangular in September and the local girls finished second to Zimbabwe.

The Marylebone Cricket Club, one of the oldest and most popular clubs in the world, toured Botswana in September and played against the senior national team in a four match series. Botswana gave a good account of themselves as the tour ended all square. ENDS