P100K prize money for Extravaganza next year
Sport
The Selebi Phikwe Softball Extravaganza Tournament Director, Daniel Mahupela has announced a P100.OOO prize money for next year when the tournament will be celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The anniversary will also bring back the Youth Extravaganza Tournament which was only played in 2015 and discontinued after the sponsor pulled out. The inaugural Youth Extravaganza which was won by Sefhophe Junior Secondary School (JSS), brought together junior secondary schools in Selebi Phikwe, Tobane, Serule and Sefhope.
The Selebi Phikwe Softball Extravaganza Tournament is Mahupela’s brain child having started such tournament albeit at regional level at Jwaneng and Orapa when he worked at Debswana in the respective towns. When he came Selebi Phikwe to work for BCL, Mahupela started the tournament this time at a higher level pitying the teams from North and South of the Dibete for a mouth-watering cash prize.
The tournament which has been dominated by BDF IX on the mens’ side was this year won by the perennial runners-up, Wells International from Jwaneng with Panthers as runners up. With the majority of the BDF IX players which include both its pitchers with the National Team participating at the World Championships in Canada, the army side was eliminated at group stage for the first time. With the arch rivals out, It was Wells’ turn to lift the trophy and get a feel of the P75 000 cheque for the first time.
Wells won the game with three points to Panthers’ two (3-2). The game went for a lengthy recess after Panthers was allowed to register a third point to make it 3-2 ahead of Wells despite a delayed dead-ball foul after Panthers base runner kicked the ball. The delayed dead-ball rule says if the base runner kicks or gets beaten by the ball, the other runners at either base are not allowed to advance but the Panthers runner was allowed to advance and register a point. Ampires and officials debated the matter for some time, the score line was reversed to 2-2. The confusion was whether the penalty was a delayed dead-ball or interference.
When the games resumed, Wells registered a point and it was game over. Panthers were the first time finalists whilst it was Wells’ sixth time reaching the finals. Rail Giants and first time qualifiers, Ghetto Yankees got position three and four, pocketing P28 000 and P23 000 respectively. On the ladies category, it was a repeat encounter as last year between Police IX and Panthers. Panthers seemed a better team leading with a score line of 2-0, only for the police women to register 3 points from one bat in bottom five. In inning five, the police registered five points in a massive come back. The game ended with a score line of 7-3 in favour of the police.
On average, Panthers was the best team with both the mens and ladies team finishing as runners up. Rail Giants from Mahalapye also had both its teams going home with bronze medals. BDF ladies got position four and went back to the barracks P23 000 richer.
Individual prizes, Tunah Mathame of Police went away with a trophy and P2000 cash prize for being elected the Most Valuable Player in the ladies category. Panthers’ Tiro Mazulugwa got a double, the Most Valuable Player and Best Slugger, pocketing P2000 and P1500 cash prize for the two awards respectively. Boitswarelo Sefo of Panthers was awarded best slugger under women’s category. Rail Giants’ Goitseone Munyadzwe and Wells’ Baolopi Thamaku were crowned best outfielders for the ladies and mens categories respectively. They both own a P15000 cahs prize and a trophy.
Sport
It’s do or die for Zebras
The senior national team, the Zebras, is currently in Equatorial Guinea to for an African Cup of Nations Qualifiers tie. Before they departed, the team’s coach, Mogomotsi Mpote, had his troops train in Morocco. This was through the agreement between the two countries.
The agreement between the BFA and the Fédération Moroccan Football Association states that the two nations will work together to organize friendly matches between their respective national teams. It also allows the establishment of football camps for the youth categories (U-15, U-17, and U-20), this includes women’s national teams.
The national team has played over 180 minutes in its two qualifying matches against Tunisia and Libya. Currently, the Zebras, Lesotho and Liberia are the only teams that haven’t scored yet in the competition (this is correct by press time on Friday).
Before the match against Equatorial Guinea match, the local boys who were once known as the whipping boys of Africa in the early 2000s, were languishing at the bottom of the log standings in group J. They lost their first match away to Libya on June 1, 2022. However, they managed to salvage a point against Tunisia last year.
Before the team left for Equatorial Guinea, coach Mpote urged his players to focus on keeping their hopes of making a return trip to the AFCON finals alive after an 11 year absence since the maiden appearance in 2012. He noted that they would not allow their opponents to score and would ensure that they would get a draw.
Despite the various changes that have occurred in the two countries’ football landscape, the two teams have only met once before. In 2010, the local boys defeated the Equatorial Guinea team in a friendly match, which ended in an emphatic win for the visitors. Since then, the two sides have realised different fortunes in FIFA rankings, with Equatorial Guinea ranked 51 places above the Zebras.
Meanwhile, in their last six games, Guinea has only managed to win one of them. They drew with Rwanda and Togo in September 2022 friendlies. They have found the back of the net just twice in their six games. On the other hand, the Zebras, won one match against Zambia and lost four on their way to finishing at the bottom of the group with four points. At the conclusion of their previous AFCON campaign, the local boys traveled to Zambia and secured a draw.
MPOTE CONFIDENT
Despite the recent results of the Guinean team, which have only managed to draw with Rwanda and Togo in their last six matches, coach Mpote is still confident that his team will perform well against the hosts.
According to the head coach, the local boys have the necessary skills and resources to perform well against any country. He noted that the team’s coaches have been studying abroad to gain a deeper understanding of the various aspects of football.
“Tactically they should also be ready. We need your (Botswana fans) usual support, when we come back from Equatorial Guinea, we will go to Francistown, and we will need you. You are our 12th player, and you are very important to us.”
OBED ITANI CHILUME STADIUM CERTIFIED
This week, the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) Tuelo Serufho revealed that the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium will host the return leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the local boys and Equatorial Guinea. The venue had initially failed an inspection test conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). However, following the completion of the necessary works, the stadium was allowed to host the match.
According to BNSC Chief, Tuelo Serufho, the various requirements that the stadium must meet included having a designated parking area for the media and spectators, as well as having signage that will guide the spectators. He also noted that the venue now has a world-class media area.
Sport
Jagdish Shah rejects Rollers society
Township Rollers, one of the country’s most decorated football clubs with 15 premier league titles, is finding itself in a precarious situation as its long-term chief financier, Jagdish Shah, threatens to dump them if the society does not bow down to his demand of forfeiting their 20 percent interest in the company.
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Sport
Orange injects P350 000 into Phikwe marathon
Mobile network Orange Botswana is committed to supporting the development of local sport. Through its sponsorship, the company will be able to promote and market the sport. According to Maano Masisi, the company believes that sport can unite people from different backgrounds.
He stated that through the sponsorship of the marathon, the company will help promote healthy lifestyles and unity among the people of Selebi Phikwe.
The Selebi Phikwe Marathon is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2023. It is expected that it will attract international, regional, and social runners. A total of P216 000 has been allocated for the prize money for the first ten places in the 42.2 km race. For the 15km and 10km races, the LOC will give away prizes to the first five places.