Badminton clubs have their sights set on the Botswana Badminton Association (BBA) Club round 2 where 7 clubs will slug it out for the coveted prize. Despite not finding a sponsor for the championships, BBA PRO Barulaganye Ncube is positive that they will gradually find one. “We have not yet found a sponsor, but gradually we will find a sponsor to avoid exhausting BNSC grants,” he says.
Clubs that will take part include Jwaneng, Hurricanes, Gaborone Badminton club, The people’s, Re-Empire, Infinite shuttle and Oodi. Only the top 4 teams will make the cut after finishing the round robin system. However Ncube says they have managed to run the past 2 tournaments without a sponsor. “We have had 2 tournaments with no sponsor as such we cannot divulge on prizes,” Ncube added.
Says Ncube, such club championships are important as they prepare athletes for games at all times. “The athletes need to be ready at all times even for international events. It is then that we pride ourselves in the club championship,” he added.
“I have paramount reason to say teams like Re-Empire are preparing well. Next week Saturday they are going for an intensive training with North west University in South Africa, showing the need to improve from their current position of fifth in the log,” he added. Ncube added that other teams are preparing for the games and showing the determination to win.
To get ready for the games, Re-Empire Club will send off a team of 8 athletes to Potschefstroom on the 16th of June, which includes 8 athletes, 4 males and 4 females. The club’s secretary general Natalie Mphinyane says the newly formed club is fighting to secure itself in the top 3 hence the intensified training. “Our coach Harold Ndaba is pushing us to do better at training; we train from Monday to Saturday,” she says.
She further said she is positive that the team will do well as the players are putting in more effort. “The trip could not come at a better time as we prepare for the second leg club championship as such we will use such opportunities to gain fitness and up our game level,” she added.
