24 Jun 2018

Botswana table tennis ladies team put up a spirited performance against their regional counterparts and clinched gold medals in ladies team event, ladies singles and a silver medal in ladies doubles. 

Botswana rising star Oratile Kedisaletse capped up a fine performance for the table tennis team with a hard fought 4-3 win over South African sensation Sarah Gobindlall.

The entertaining ladies final match was viewed by many as a rematch of the past Johannesburg Open tournament which pitted the two youngsters together.

Kedisaletse picked up her most important points in the seventh set after Gobindlall fought hard to reverse the embarrassing 3-0 score line at the end of the third set. At the end of the sixth set it was an open match that could have been won by anyone. 

Kedisaletse came back stronger after a word with her coach and finished off the seventh set with a score margin of 11-6 to seal the victory.

In the single men category South African Terrence Mathole proved too good against Botswana’s Bakang Maloka when he beat him 4-1.

Mathole who was impressive in both preliminary rounds before the finals, beat Boago Malobela with the same score line in the semifinals before setting up a date with Maloka. However Maloka and Malobela partnered and were rewarded with a silver medal for their efforts in the men’s doubles.

Kedisaletse combined with Maloka in the mixed doubles but fell short of glory against the speedy Mathole who partnered with Lerato Sekele in the mixed doubles.

Another enterprising Botswana player Constance Kuswani settled for a bronze medal in the ladies singles.ENDS