13 Jul 2026

Euphoria hits the basketball fraternity as Botswana readies for International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3x3 Under 23 Nations League hosting to be played at the Royal Aria Stadium in Tlokweng from July 20 to 26.

The tournament is guaranteed to bring the crème de la crème of basketball that Africa South Conference can offer under one roof, as six nations are expected to slug it out as a pathway to the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic games. 

Elite squads from Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar and Botswana will lock horns for a podium finish and secure a place at the Olympic Q-series 2028 games in Tokyo and Shanghai in May 2028.

The hosting of the games is a monumental and ornamental achievement and therefore would put the icing on the cake given that the country had already hosted major regional tournaments like the African Union Sports Council Region 5.

In addition, the country had also hosted under 20 Youth Games and the Zone VI basketball club championships preliminaries.

However, Botswana Basketball Association (BBA) president, Mothusi Thipe said in an interview that the country was ready to host and compete in the tournament highlighting the importance of hosting a tournament of such magnitude.

Thipe said the Local Organising Committee (LOC) was fully mobilized to deliver a world- class FIBA 3x3 Nations League Tournament.

Further, he said the LOC was finalising all operational logistics, venue branding, and team hospitality frameworks to guarantee a seamless, high-octane for athletes and fans alike.

With regard to team Botswana’s readiness, Thipe said BBA  recently organised a training camp under the tutelage of a renowned French tactician, Richard Billat, whose international proficiency brought depth to the sport.

He said the high-performance camp was to equip participants and to ensure that theww athletes could match their opponents pound for pound.

Working hand-in-hand with Billat was a dedicated cohort of exceptional local coaches, and tactical and technical minds of Shallo Matsetse, Dingane Motswadira, Atang Lefolwane,Calvin Mophato and Motheo Semausu who guided the players through daily drills, tactical spacing and simulated high-pressure game scenarios.

These team of experts, he said focused on the unique, rapid-fire demands of the 3x3 format being more oriented on rapid transitions, individual shot-creation and relentless defensive switching.

He said among the core focuses of the high-performance camp was the development of a lethal women’s roster capable of utilising home-court advantage to the maximum. 

Therefore, he noted that the training camp provided an intensive environment for the rising stars of both the girls’ and boys’ squad to solidify their chemistry and individual skill sets.

Also, he said they used the training camp to ensure that the squad was fine-tuned and conditioned for perimeter shooting and half-court execution, signaling their readiness to cause havoc. ENDS