25 Mar 2013

Smash Maniacs men and women’s table tennis teams have won the 2013 Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) club championship tournament.

Both teams emerged champions of the tournament that was held at Babusi Hall, on Saturday. The two teams have won the championship six times with the men team having won the tournament in 2002, 2004, 2010, 2011and 2012, whilst the women team won in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2012.

Smash Maniacs’ women team emerged victorious after walloping Nhabe, BDF and Dithubaruba 3-0, 3-2, and 3-2, respectively.

Men’s teams were divided into two groups of four teams each and played using the round robin system. Therefore, after winning in group one, Smash Maniacs’ team A played against Nhabe team A, which also won in group two. The Smash Maniacs then beat Nhabe 3-0 to emerge champions.

Since the tournament’s inception in 2002, Smash Maniacs and BDF’s men and women teams had dominated the tournament, respectively. However, in 2008 Nhabe men team emerged winners.

Speaking in an interview, BTTA assistant public relations officer, Tiro Motswasele, said the tournament  comes once every year, and is aimed at familiarizing players with the team events, since most of the table tennis games are individual events.

“There is a difference between the team and individual events, and it is very important that we make players aware of such,” Motswasele said.

The tournament, which consisted of both men and women’s team singles, attracted teams from the seven BTTA clubs namely; Smash Maniacs, Nhabe, Dithubaruba, New Horizon, BDF, Kanye and Thebephatshwa Table Tennis Clubs. ENDS