19 Nov 2023

The fifth edition of the Botswana Diamond Manufactures Association (BDMA) netball tournament held over the weekend at Botswana Netball Association courts lived to its objectives, according to the organisers.

The 15-team tournament, which started in October, culminated with the semi-finals and finals on Saturday where KGK emerged champions after a hard fought 35-30 win against Star Rays.

Tache and Yerushalmi settled for positions three and four respectively.

Speaking in an interview, tournament organiser, Monica Alfred said the competition was started as a welfare measures for employees to help them relieve work environment load.

“We suggested to our bosses that as employees, we needed a way of knowing and interacting with each other.

This was more so that even though we are different companies, our work and challenges are similar,” she said.

She said the event was also an opportunity for employees to share small business ideas.

Alfred said the tournament was sponsored to the tune of P60 000 and that she was happy that since it started, a few players had been spotted by teams in the national league, which she said signalled growth.

“Our hope is that as companies, we would one day be able to raise a select team and register with the national netball and football leagues,” she said.

For his part, BDMA chairperson, Siddarth Gothi said as the sponsors, they were happy with the overall tournament, including supporters’ turn-up.

“We are a 29-member association and at least 15 companies participated.

There was a lot of energy around the tournament, which saw the participation of around 4 000 employees of the diamond cutting and polishing industry,” he said.

He said the intention was to ensure that the tournament improved each year and that for now, they only had netball, football and cricket, with each taking up to three months to play out.

Gothi also said it was good that the tournament was helping to keep up team spirit among employees and leadership of the member companies, a bonding which he said was necessary.

He said the member companies were spurred by the excitement around the tournament and therefore would ensure its improvement next year.

For her part, the winning captain, Kgabidi Banda said the journey to the final was a tough one and were happy to have emerged champions, a feat she attributed to hard work.

In individual prizes, Banda was chosen best defender while Zenzo Majingo of Yerushalmi was chosen best mid-court.

Best shooter went to Osego Dickson of Tache while Leemo Odisitse of Star Rays emerged best player of the tournament. ENDS