A fencer competes during the Botswana Fencing Federation National Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, on Jan. 14, 2023. The Botswana Fencing Federation (BFF) held their first national championship tournament of the year in Gaborone on Saturday to prepare for the Cadet Junior African Championship, which will be held from Feb. 15 to 21 in Accra, Ghana. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
GABORONE, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Botswana Fencing Federation (BFF) held their first national championship tournament of the year in Gaborone on Saturday to prepare for the Cadet Junior African Championship, which will be held from February 15 to 21 in Accra, Ghana.
Fencers competed in three categories: senior men, junior men and women, and cadet men and women, with more than ten athletes competing in the cadet category, indicating the sport's growth. The squad will be chosen from the three fencing disciplines: epee, foil, and sabre.
In an interview, Thabile Morekwe Pilane, public relations officer for the BFF, stated that players will be able to earn points from the tournament, laying a solid foundation for selection to the national team and representing their country at the coming Cadet Junior African Championship.
Despite the fact that the sport has been around for more than nine years, she indicated that it is not very popular in Botswana. In order to promote the sport, Pilane said they are working with organizations such as the Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) and "Re Ba Bona Ha", which translates as "We see them here" to get this sport into schools.
"The problem that we are facing more is on the female side, we don't have many females," she said, encouraging parents to bring their girl children to learn fencing because it has many benefits, including self-defense and keeping the children out of trouble. ■
Fencers compete during the Botswana Fencing Federation National Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, on Jan. 14, 2023. The Botswana Fencing Federation (BFF) held their first national championship tournament of the year in Gaborone on Saturday to prepare for the Cadet Junior African Championship, which will be held from Feb. 15 to 21 in Accra, Ghana. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
Fencers compete during the Botswana Fencing Federation National Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, on Jan. 14, 2023. The Botswana Fencing Federation (BFF) held their first national championship tournament of the year in Gaborone on Saturday to prepare for the Cadet Junior African Championship, which will be held from Feb. 15 to 21 in Accra, Ghana. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
