31/05/2026
SAMUEL AND GAOKGALEMELWE CROWNED PHOENIX OF BOTSWANA ASSURANCE MAUN OPEN CHAMPIONS
The second edition of the Phoenix of Botswana Assurance Maun Open concluded in spectacular fashion at the Delta Waters International School Multi-Purpose Hall, with Botswana Defence Force (BDF) players dominating the Senior Men's and Senior Women's categories.
In the Senior Men's competition, BDF's Tshireletso Samuel emerged victorious after a thrilling five-set final against his clubmate Mompati Chabe. Samuel recovered strongly to claim a 3-2 victory in a closely contested encounter.
The final set scores were 11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7 and 11-3 in favour of Samuel, who demonstrated resilience and determination to secure the title.
Chabe settled for the silver medal, while Tirelo Tshipinare of Dithubaruba and Thobo Matlhatsi of BDF shared the bronze medals after impressive performances throughout the tournament.
In the Senior Women's category, Tsholofelo Gaokgalemelwe of BDF produced a dominant display to defeat Tshepiso Rebatenne of Nhabe 3-luv in the final and lift the championship trophy.
Despite the straight-sets result, the opening and closing sets were tightly contested, with Gaokgalemelwe winning 12-10, 11-3 and 14-12 to seal the title.
Rebatenne finished with the silver medal, while Briannah Mogaladi of the Bontleng/Ithuteng Project and Constance Kuswani of BDF claimed the bronze medals.
The tournament attracted players from across Botswana and once again provided a platform for athletes to showcase their talent while gaining valuable competitive experience. The successful staging of the second edition further highlights the growing popularity of table tennis in the country and the importance of regional competitions in developing the sport.
