The Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) will this weekend hold the Palapye Open Championships that will be held at Lotsane Senior Secondary School Multipurpose Hall.
BTTA Tournament Organizer, Rorisang Raesima, said that BTTA Affiliates will not participate without registering a ladies team. He explained that this is being done to encourage clubs to have ladies in their team as they do not consider a club without them complete.
“This will also help in developing and growing the sport code in the country,” he added. He also explained that preparations are going well noting that, “since issuing out invitations about the tournament, I have always had inquiries about the championship even from non affiliates”, something which he said shows people are interested in participating in the event.
During the championships, only table tennis clubs duly registered, affiliated and subscribing fully to the BTTA for the year 2009 ÔÇô 2010 will participate in the event.
National teams from BOPRISA, BISA, BOBSA, BOTESSA, PASSOBO, and Special Olympics will also be eligible for participation.
Raesima, however, pointed out that because this is an open championship, members of the public who want to participate will be allowed even though they do not have ladies in their teams.
“The rule only applies to BTTA affiliates,” he added.
There will be men and women singles, men and women doubles, and mixed doubles all of which will be single knockouts and have unlimited entries.
However, as for the mixed doubles, partners have to be from the same club. Furthermore, February 2010 ranking results will be used to seed players onto the tournament ladder and the Tournament results will be used to add to the BTTA Tournament Ranking results. All matches will be officiated by the BTTA national umpires in accordance with ITTF handbook, which will be adopted from the ITTF Tournament Referees handbook.
Registration started on the 14th February and will end on the 26th February midday.
Raesima pointed out that late registration will not be allowed. “This is meant to allow the Tournament Organising Committee to conclude and finalise on the system of play and to seed athletes,” he said.
