# Botswana national badminton team

The Botswana national badminton team (Tswana: La lesizwe laseBotswana lebhedminton) represents Botswana in international team competitions and is controlled by the Botswana Badminton Association in Gaborone, Botswana. The national team was formed after badminton was starting to be played in Motswana cities, Orapa, Selebi-Phikwe and Jwaneng.
The Motswana team have competed in the African Badminton Championships mixed team event. The team have also participated once at the Summer Universiade in 2017.

## History

It is not exactly known when badminton was first played in Botswana. In the 1980s, the sport began to spread locally and was played around the Central District in Francistown, Orapa and Selebi-Phikwe. This led to the formation of the Botswana Badminton Association and the Motswana badminton team in 1990. The Botswana Badminton Association soon joined the Badminton World Federation and the Badminton Confederation of Africa under the chairmanship of Ishmael Bhamjee.

### Mixed team

The Motswana team first debuted internationally at the African Mixed Team Championships in 2011. In that same year, the Motswana team qualified and competed in the 10th African Games. The team were drawn into Group 4 with South Africa, Congo-Brazzaville and Ethiopia. The team finished 2nd in the group, beating both Ethiopia and Congo-Brazzaville with a score of 5-0 but lost to South Africa.
The national team continued to compete in the next few editions of the African Mixed Team Championships and later African Games in 2015. The Motswana team placed 3rd in Group 2 and failed to qualify for the quarter-finals.

## Competitive record
### African Games
#### Mixed team

| Year | Round | Pos |
| 2003 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2007 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2011 | Group stage | |
| 2015 | Group stage | |
| 2019 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined |

### FISU World University Games
#### Mixed team

| Year | Round | Pos |
| 2007 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2011 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2013 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2015 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2017 | Group stage | 26th |
| 2021 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2025 | TBD | TBD |

### World University Team Championships
#### Mixed team

| Year | Round | Pos |
| 2008 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2010 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2012 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2014 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2016 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2018 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
    **Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

## Junior competitive record
### Suhandinata Cup

| Year | Round | Pos |
| 2000 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2002 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2004 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2006 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2007 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2008 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2009 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2010 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2011 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2012 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2013 | Group stage | 28th |
| 2014 | Group stage | 24th |
| 2015 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2016 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2017 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2018 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2019 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2022 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2023 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2024 | TBD | TBD |

### African Junior Team Championships
#### Mixed team

| Year | Round | Pos |
| 1979 to 1995 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1997 | Group stage | 5th |
| 1999 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2001 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2003 | Group stage | 7th |
| 2005 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2007 | Group stage | 6th |
| 2009 | Group stage | 7th |
| 2011 | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 2013 | Group stage | |
| 2016 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2021 | Group stage | 7th |
| 2022 | Did not enter | Did not enter |
    **Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

## Staff

The following list shows the coaching staff for the Botswana national badminton team.
| Name | Role |
| Ookeditse Thela | Head coach |
| Harold Ndaba | Coach |
| Muniovandu Kandjou | Junior coach |

## Players
### Current squad

    As of 2 January 2024

#### Men's team

| Name | DoB/Age | Ranking of event | Ranking of event | Ranking of event |
| Name | DoB/Age | MS | MD | XD |
| Tshimologo Rasta | (1995-01-01) 1 January 1995 (age 29) | 852 | 941 | 740 |
| Tsamorena Kgosidialwa | (1998-02-01) 1 February 1998 (age 26) | 1551 | 1091 | 1160 |
| Tumelo Moilwa | (2001-09-12) 12 September 2001 (age 23) | 1623 | 941 | 1123 |
| Modiri Motshegwe | (2002-10-22) 22 October 2002 (age 22) | 862 | 941 | 1160 |

#### Women's team

| Name | DoB/Age | Ranking of event | Ranking of event | Ranking of event |
| Name | DoB/Age | WS | WD | XD |
| Tebogo Ndzinge | (1993-02-28) 28 February 1993 (age 31) | 675 | 766 | 1160 |
| Keletso Ntebela | (2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 23) | - | 860 | 1123 |
| Naledi Setlalekgosi | (2004-03-26) 26 March 2004 (age 20) | 701 | - | 1160 |
| Tessa Kabelo | (1996-09-10) 10 September 1996 (age 28) | 514 | 766 | 740 |

### Previous squads

* African Mixed Team Badminton Championships: (2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2021)
* African Games: (2015)