Gazette Reporter
Team Gata swept Pool B as Police IX missed the showpiece for the first time.
Gatalamotho Softball Club extended their winning streak with another commanding performance, reaffirming their dominance in the local softball scene at the Selebi-Phikwe Softball Extravaganza Southern Eliminations held in Gaborone over the weekend.
Perfect Run
Drawn in Pool B alongside Wells International, Police IX and Vikings, Team Gata, as they are popularly known in softball circles, won all three group matches to secure qualification for the 17th edition of the Softball Extravaganza, slated for Selebi-Phikwe from 18 to 20 July.
They defeated Wells International 5-2, edged Police IX 5-4, and wrapped up their campaign with a convincing 6-0 victory over Vikings. Pool A comprised BDF IX, Panthers, Bears and UB Giants.
Game Plan
Gatalamotho’s opening victory over Wells International sent a strong message to their rivals, underlining their status as the team to beat. Key players Thabiso Radithobane and Brian Dekoker delivered solid performances from their respective positions.
In an interview with Gazette Sport, Gatalamotho head coach Obusitswe “Gamah” Lekgotho attributed the team’s performance to the discipline, consistency and teamwork displayed throughout their preparations.
“The victory was built on the character of my players, who are now more mature and disciplined in all aspects of the game. We had a clear game plan, and I told them they could only win if they believed in themselves. They responded positively, remained determined and executed everything exactly as we had planned,” he said.
Police Test
Lekgotho admitted that Police IX posed their biggest threat during the eliminations and that defeating them was central to Gatalamotho’s qualification hopes.
“Our second match against Police was our biggest test. We knew that if we beat them, we would be in a strong position to qualify. It was a tightly contested encounter, as reflected by the scoreline, but my players produced a complete team performance,” he added.
Police Fall
Meanwhile, Police IX men will miss the Softball Extravaganza for the first time in the club’s history after suffering a heartbreaking 7-6 defeat to Wells International in the decisive qualification match.
Police IX head coach Molekane Bokhutho expressed disappointment over his side’s failure to qualify for a tournament they have traditionally dominated.
“This is certainly not what we expected. Perhaps our players approached the tournament too casually because of our past dominance. Unfortunately, things did not go our way. We now have to regroup, learn from this disappointment and focus on the competitions ahead. We will definitely come back stronger,” he said.
Final Lineup
Gatalamotho will be joined by BDF IX, Panthers and defending champions Wells International as the Southern Region’s four representatives. They will face Northern Region qualifiers Rebels, Carats, Rail Giants and Comets.
In the ladies’ competition, the Southern Region will be represented by defending champions Police, Titans, Wells International and Panthers, while Scramblers, Carats, Ghetto Yankees and Comets qualified from the Northern Region.