08 Aug 2018

Botswana Bridge Federation (BBF) has sent a strong team to the Jiangsu province in Eastern China for the 17^th edition of the World Youth Bridge championships.

The tournament will be played from today until the August 19.

Speaking from the Li Ze Culture and Sports Palace in Suzhou, BBF official Mbakisi Malilo who also travelled with the team as a non-playing captain said they were ready to face the world’s best brains in the game of bridge.

The Championship consists of four series, juniors, girls, youngsters and kids.

All the series will be played as a complete round-robin with all teams playing each other and at the end of the round-robin, the highest ranked 8 teams in each series will qualify for the knock-out stages.

Botswana has qualified to participate in the junior team, kids and youngsters category.

Botswana participates in the world championships through its affiliation to the African Bridge Federation or World Bridge Federation Zone 8.

The Zone 8 comprises of 12 countries amongst them world power houses such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

From the Southern Africa region, Botswana is joined by the likes of South Africa, Kenya Zambia, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

With individual successes in local tournaments, Botswana has assembled a formidable team in the junior category, comprising of the likes of the tried and tested Prince Ramoseki.

Ramoseki has a wealth of international experience having taken part in regional and continental tournaments such as the Zone 8 Africa championship in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. He is paired with the likes of Thabiso Makgosa, Olebile Tshupelo, Stewart Pelaelo, Kutlwano Tabona and Lucky Thee.

A selection tournament was held in June for all the participating categories with junior an senior secondary schools represented.

The youngsters’ team will rely on Maiketso Ofentse, Tshegofatso Gaosegelwe, Mokgabo Mokgosi, Alicia Kelehatile, Janet Keabitsa and Marvelous Waditsela.

Botswana has paired Setlalekgosi secondary school quartet of Weno Phatshwane, Resego Lentswe, Maria Mokgethi and Ludo Onkutule, who will be assisted by Moselewapula secondary schools pair of Hazel Gosalamang and Changu Kengaletswe.

The youngsters’ team will play their first match against Chile and then take on Germany in the second match. Some of their tough opponents in the following games are Norway and England. The juniors’ team will come face to face with the likes of India, Canada, Poland and Italy while the Kids team will face Greece, Denmark and France amongst others.

According to Malilo, the development structures of BBF have been praised globally as Botswana is the only team in Africa that has sent the three youth teams. The last time Botswana participated at the world champs was 2014 in Turkey.

The teams will be under Keneilwe Mosomodi as team manager, Letsogile Mafa as an official while Keoagile Chamo is  team coach. ENDS