23 Sep 2013

Botswana Table Tennis Association has secured sponsorship for the popular Orapa Open Table Tennis Tournament, one of the code’s biggest annual competitions.

The competition, which is in its 16th edition, would this year be sponsored by Debswana Diamond Company with P25 000. BTTA president, Thebe Selema said the historic sponsorship agreement, unveiled at the Oasis Motel in Tlokweng on September 20, was a massive step forward for the growth of table-tennis.

He expressed delight that the tournament had finally found a sponsor after the association endured a difficult time searching for backing for the competition which was incepted in 1998.

“This sponsorship would spur the association to stage the best competition,” Selema said. Debswana security manager, Mpho Kewakae explained that his company’s decision to sponsor Orapa Open was part of its broad desire of playing a role in the transformation of sport in Botswana. “Resources permitting, Debswana would like to continue with this relationship in the future and grow it further,” he said.

Debswana would be sponsoring the tournament through its Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa mines. The tournament, which will be staged on September 28-29 in diamond mining town of Orapa, is expected to attract over 200 players from BTTA affiliated clubs, and players from various schools.

Furthermore, players from neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia are expected to compete. The tournament will be played in the seniors and juniors categories and competition will be in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Champions in the seniors category would walk home with P1 500 prize-money and gold medals, while runners-ups would get P1 000 and silver medals. Third place finishers would get P500 and bronze medals. “We believe the increased prize-money will motivate players to perform better. Competition is important to measure the progress of the association’s development programmes,” said Kudzanani Motswagole, BTTA’s competitions director. The association said it would deduct ten percent from the players’ prize-money and donate the money to an identified needy person in the Orapa-Letlhakane area.  ENDS