Youth team upbeat ahead of bowling championships

The Botswana Bowling Association (BBA) is set to send a youth team to the prestigious Bowls South Africa National Youth Championships scheduled for Sunday in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Speaking on the sidelines of intensive preparations, BBA vice president and publicity secretary Edwin Nyoka said the team’s participation reflected the association’s strong commitment to developing bowling across all age groups. He noted that under the Re Ba Bona Ha youth development programme, BBA focused on prioritising talent identification, skills development and cross-border competition exposure.

Although Botswana competed in last year’s tournament, Nyoka said the team did not perform to the required standards due to logistical challenges beyond their control. However, he expressed confidence that this year’s squad is better prepared following a series of coaching clinics conducted for Under-15, Under-18 and Under-25 players. Earlier this month, the association hosted a successful Re Ba Bona Ha festival and training camp at Jwaneng Bowling Club, attracting over 40 junior players aged between seven and 23 from centres including Francistown, Gaborone, Selebi Phikwe, Orapa and Jwaneng.

Jwaneng Bowling Club has since been designated a Centre of Excellence for grassroots development, following the inclusion of lawn bowls in the Re Ba Bona Ha programme in 2023. Nyoka also revealed that BBA planned to host national in-house youth championships later this year as part of ongoing development efforts. On the international stage, Botswana will be represented by Peo Ramodise and Kaone Maroku at the World Indoor Bowls Championships scheduled for Hong Kong later this year.

[paywall]

The association’s youth structures are already yielding results, with emerging talents such as Ramodise and Edwin Junior Nyoka making significant strides. Junior Nyoka recently became the youngest-ever club and national singles champion, while Ramodise dominated the 2025 Masters tournament, featuring the country’s top eight players. The Under-25 team comprises Thabo Makopa, Kaone Maroku, Edwin Junior Nyoka (Orapa) and Peo Ramodise (Gaborone). The Under-18 squad includes Jordan Davids, Gideon Lereka, Andile Nyoka, Thabile Keorotse, Phenyo Rampate, Masset Lereka, Ayana Mohammed and Chantelle Moemele.

[/paywall]