04 Nov 2025

The 2025 Phoenix Assurance Molepolole Open, an initiative of Dithubaruba Table Tennis Club, showcased top-class performances from clubs across the country in a thrilling ping pong spectacle held at Molepolole Institute of Health Sciences on Saturday.

The tournament attracted a strong field of participants, featuring 56 men, 42 women, 17 veterans, 14 junior girls, 13 junior boys, as well as brackets of doubles comprising 16 men and 13 women.

The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Table Tennis Club once again proved dominant, overpowering their opponents in several categories.

In the senior men’s singles, BDF players swept the medals, with Tshireletso Samuel clinching gold, Bakang Maloka taking silver, and Thobo Matlhatsi and Mompati Chabe were lace up with bronze.

A similar trend was seen in the women’s singles, where Constance Kuswani of BDF claimed gold, followed by Tshepiso Rebatenne of Nhabe Table Tennis Club with silver, while Sibongile Six and Emmah Lelatisitswe, both from BDF, settled for bronze.

In the men’s doubles, the BDF pair of Thobo Matlhatsi and Mompati Maloka won gold, while teammates Tshireletso Samuel and Opelo took silver. 

Bronze medals went to Nhabe Table Tennis Club and Dithubaruba Table Tennis Club.

For the women’s doubles, Tshepiso Rebatenne and Emmah Lelatisitswe of Nhabe Table Tennis Club won gold, followed by BDF’s Constance Kuswani and Sibongile Six with silver, while Carol David (Bontleng) and Boitlamo Nkele from Bontleng Ithuteng table tennis clubs took bronze medals.

The tournament’s media liaison officer, Hayden Nyambe hailed the event as a major success, noting its growth and competitiveness compared to other Botswana Table Tennis Association feeder tournaments this year.

He added that the BDF men maintained their league dominance, while Bontleng’s junior girls impressed by reaching the doubles finals and achieving podium finishes in individual categories.

Nyambe noted that the tournament’s large scale made scheduling a challenge, as matches concluded in the early hours of Sunday.

He further revealed that another event, the Jwaneng Open, was scheduled for November 29.

The tournament was made possible through sponsorship from Phoenix Assurance of Botswana, The Make Over Place, Workshop Lines (Pty) Ltd, and Mo’s Luxury Soft Tissues, who contributed prizes, refreshments and amenities. ENDS