10 Dec 2015

The fourth Botswana Games basketball finals be played today (December 11).

Results of the matches that have been played since Sunday indicate that in pool A of the boys category, the Lobatse and the Central districts are in position one and two respectively while in Pool B, South East and the host district, Francistown are in position one and two respectively.

In Pool A in the  girls’ category, Central District is in the lead while Gaborone is in second position. In Pool B boys’ category, South East is in the lead followed by Francistown and in the girls category it is not yet clear if Selibe Phikwe will become winners as the team is still left with two games to play.

The games that will follow will also determine whether Kweneng or Southern will fall in the second position.

According to the classification of teams, the districts in position three in both pools will battle it out for positions five and six in the finals while those in positions four will clash for positions seven and eight.
In an interview at the ongoing games, the protocol officer Thatayaone Kgoadi said there is growth in basketball as a sport in general.

Kgoadi, who is also the Botswana Integrated Sports Association’s (BISA) national basketball organiser, said the sport is no longer centred in Gaborone as it used to be the case.

He noted that basketball has spread even to the rural areas, citing that the team dominating Pool A is from the Central District.

Kgoadi observed that the games have proved that there is continuity in general as some of the players also took part in BISA and some are currently part of Botswana Basketball Association League, a thing that he said is a step in the right direction.

He, however, said due to shortage of resources such as courts, equipment and attire, it becomes difficult for players to train on their own as they have to wait to convene as a team.

“This results in not having readily available players like in other sporting codes,” he said. He further explained that the Botswana Games results will be used to select players for the Under 18 Africa Championships to be played in May next year and the Under 20 Africa Union Region 5 to be held in Angola next year December.

Pool A teams are playing their games at BDF Donga while Pool B is in Pelotshwaana Primary School with a total of eight boys teams taking part and nine girls teams. Ends