22 Dec 2020

The year 2020 will go down as a period when sport in Botswana nearly came to a complete standstill.

No competitive sport took place for about six months after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out around the world early this year.

Therefore, there were fewer moments to remember for the sporting fraternity this year compared to other years.

Here, we bring you the major successes and failures of the year, for codes that managed to brave the pandemic and stage some competitions.

Athletics

 

Athletics continued to excel even despite limited competitions due to the pandemic.

Prior to COVID-19, some proved their mettle by booking themselves some spots in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

While the Games were postponed to 2021 Botswana had to smile as Nigel Amos, Amantle Montsho, Christine Botlogetswe and Galefele Moroko qualified.

It was the first time three female athletes from Botswana managed to qualify for the Olympics individually.

Athletics also shone brighter than other codes at the 40^th Botswana Sport Awards by collecting four big accolades.

Dose Mosimanyane won Coach of the Year Award, while Galefele Moroko and Leungo Scotch, respectively won the sportswoman and man of the year awards. Scotch also clinched the Sportsperson of the Year Award.

However, the code suffered tragedy when two of its brightest stars Baboloki Thebe and Onkabetse Nkobolo got involved in a car accident, with Nkobolo sustaining career threatening injuries.

Badminton

Badminton held a successful national championship in November. Tefo Kabomo and Tessa Kabelo won the men’s and ladies singles titles.

The Botswana Badminton Association in December honoured Tjiyapo Mokobi-Mokhosoa with Meritorious Service Award for contributing to badminton development in Botswana for more than 30 years.

 

 

Boxing

Boxing fraternity had good news as their female pugilist qualified for the Tokyo Games but  was plunged in mourning after the passing away of young national team boxer Tefo Maitewa.

The professional side, Professional Boxing Association of Botswana (PBAB)  defied the odds by hosting a World Boxing Federation (WBF) International Super Bantamweight title match. Onkarabile alias Scara Mothibedi won the 12-round bout against favourite Tshepang ‘Gearbox’ Babui in the much publicised fight.

 

 

Chess

Such as other sporting codes, Botswana Chess Federations (BCF) had a tough year due to COVID-19, which  disrupted their activities. However, BCF managed to take advantage of online platform to continue with some of their tournaments. One of the highlights was of three Botswana players (Naledi Marape, Refilwe Gabatshwarwe and Desire Machinya) who recently qualified to join a team that would represent Africa at the Online World Cadets and Youth Rapid Championship, which started from December 19-30.

Debswana Chess League was concluded after being played in three phases and took longer than expected due to this pandemic, hence BCF incurred unbudgeted costs as a result, such as hiring different playing rooms in order to observe social distancing. BCF had to pay for unbudgeted costs since sponsorship money had to be used as per the agreement.

 

 

Cycling

 

While some codes seemed sluggish in bouncing back from the long break, Botswana Cycling Association seemed to have been polishing their plan as they bounced back in grand style, holding a series of races as per their calendar.

 Jonmol Cycling club had a good year despite the COVID-19 pandemic as some of its athletes received scholarships.

Arnold Kokwane received the Elite Scholarship, and is due to leave for the United Kingdom, Ireland in 2021. Matlhogonolo Botlhole was also a beneficiary of the Zebra Fund, after the young lad started a year training in Cape Town, South Africa at the World Cycling Centre.

The downside for cyclists especially mountain bike riders was the cancellation of the most coveted competitive Route73 mountain bike race.

The race which attracts professional cyclists from abroad would have been in its fifth edition, was cancelled due to lockdowns.

           

 

Football

 

The most disappointment thing to the football fraternity was the halting of the 2019/20 season due to the pandemic when league competitions were at exciting stage.

But football will remember the year for several historical achievements.

Firstly, Jwaneng Galaxy won the Premier League for the first time ever after being declared champions.

Likewise, Masitaoka and Sua Flamingoes were promoted to the Premier League for the first time after being declared winners of the first division south and north respectively.

Master Black Pool from Matebeleng, Motaung Young Fighter from Kang and Chadibe FC, also won promotion to the first division for the first time ever.

TAFIC, Miscellaneous and Molepolole City were relegated from the Premier League.

In December, after a two-legged playoff, Mogoditshane Fighters edged out Nico United to return to the Premier League after seven years absence.

Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote continued his rise as one of the best coaches in Botswana by guiding Orapa United to lift Mascom Top 8 trophy by beating Township Rollers 4-3 on penalties after being tied 1-1 in the final in Francistown.

The women’s national team continued to provide hope by beating South Africa in the Olympic Qualifiers.

Coach Gaoletlhoo Nkutlwisang’s team also reached the final of the COSAFA Women Championship. However, glory eluded them when South Africa beat them in the final.

The Zebras on the other hand produced mixed results in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers,  losing twice and winning just once from four matches.

A power struggle ensued as the football fraternity split into factions supporting the presidential candidacy of incumbent MacLean Letshwiti, his predecessor and main challenger Tebogo Sebego as well as rank outsider Ookeditse Malesu ahead of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) elective General Assembly.

At one point, the BFA Elections Board controversially vetted Sebego and Malesu out of the race, before an Appeals Committee decision to overrule. Letshwiti came out victorious, as did most of his backers.

Creditably, this year’s BFA General Assembly was the first to be held virtually as delegates connected with each other technologically from their centres in Gaborone, Francistown, Selibe Phikwe, Palapye and Jwaneng in order to comply with COVID-19 protocols.

The assembly took a resolution to grant the Botswana Premier League (BPL) and First Division autonomy.

In November, Botswana football was plunged in shame when the under 17 boys squad was disqualified from the COSAFA tournament for age cheating after some players failed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. BFA subsequently dismissed Chief Executive Officer Mfolo Mfolo amid the controvesy.

Late in the year Galaxy did well to defeat Union Sportive de Zilimadjou of the Comoros 5-1 on aggregate in the CAF Champions League preliminaries, setting up a mouthwatering tie with former African champions Mamelodi Soundowns of South Africa to contest a spot in the group stage.

Towards the end of the year, three Botswana players Kabelo Seakanyeng, Tumisang Orebonye and Simisane Mathumo signed for Morocco club Olympique Club De Khouribga.

On a sad note, Township Rollers goalkeeper Wagarre Dikago passed away in November after sustaining injuries in a car accident.

 

Table tennis

 

Such as the saying that tough times calls for tough measures

Botswana Table Tennis held its national open tournament in December. Tshepiso Rebatenne won the ladies singles by beating Olerato Ramagapu 3-0 in the final. Bakang Malema won the men’s singles title by beating Boago Malobela 3-0 in the final. In order to adhere to COVID protocols the system of play used in tournaments was singles and there were no spectators allowed.

 

 

Volleyball

 

While it has been a bumpy road for Botswana Volleyball Federation such as the absence of league games due to lack of sponsor, nonetheless the code has a couple of notable achievements to pride itself over such as its president Daniel Molaodi being elected into the Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) board of administration.

He was elected during, Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) elective congress recently. Molaodi’s appointment would run for a period of four years, serving in the CAVB board of administration.

Prior to COVID-19 outbreak some of their female players went to ply their trade in other countries, something that indicates that BVF is doing well in grooming eminent players admired by foreign clubs. 

ENDs