15 Apr 2025

With three games left before conclusion of Botswana Volleyball League, Molepolole-based Dikwena VI Volleyball Academy is struggling to stamp its authority. 

Since the start of the league, the women’s team registered one victory while the men’s side is yet to win. Despite not getting the desired results, the team soldiers on. Though hampered by among others financial constraints and lack of proper training, individual players go the extra mile to honour the league matches.

Keitumetse Makudinyane, Dikwena VI Volleyball Academy assistant coach said in an interview after losing 0-3 to the Prisons Volleyball Club at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks volleyball courts on Sunday, that it was difficult to train with the team on fulltime basis as he was currently based in Maun. Also, he said some players stayed in Gaborone and other localities, making it difficult to train together and establish a winning formula. Individually, he said players had what it took to play the game. 

Since the beginning of the league, the club has been struggling to win matches and at times failing to even honour fixtures. As such, Makudinyane said they needed all forms of support including financially. He said the team relied on individual players’ finances and other resources to make it possible to play the game. He therefore called on teams with extra players who may end league without tasting game time to loan such players to them. 

“They should offload such players to us to help us build a competitive side and give their players a game time," he said.

Makudinyane however said Dikwena was seeking to redeem its current situation.

Prisons Volleyball Club head coach Kealeboga Pebe said a win against Dikwena was not impressive. He however, said he could not fault players for not picking the momentum of the game, as their opponent play was slow. 

“They did not play at their pace and style and their attack was also limited, but all in all they registered a win,” he said. 

Pebe said though they started the league on a low, the team gained momentum as league progressed. He said the players were determined to play following a long break of no league activity.

Giving a post-mortem review of their women’s volleyball league match against BDF VI where they lost 0-3, Mpho Mothobi, Yaros Volleyball Club coach said the team  was not compact largely because players could not train together because some were students, and at times finding it difficult to juggle varsity work with practice.

He said BDF VI was one of the powerhouses in volleyball, therefore playing such a formidable side would never be easy for a team that was not compact. Without a sponsor, Mothobi said there were times when players staying outside Gaborone could not honour league fixtures, making it difficult for the team to field a formidable side as they only picked from available players and not based on fitness.

 Currently, in the bottom four of the log, Yaros ladies managed four wins and lost 14. BDF VI women’s team head coach, Daniel Baoki said his team was a mixture of experienced and young players dedicated to the game. He said teamwork was the drive behind the consistence performance. He said the technical team was equally working hard, ensuring that all aspects of the game were covered to enable players perform to their best. After winning all the 16 league games, BDF VI is placed second behind Police VI. 

Mothobi said his team was not excelling because it was playing against weaker opponents, adding that their intention was to play volleyball fully and be among the best teams locally and even on the regional arena. He said their game against Yaros, which they won with a comfortable margin, was used to gauge players in preparing for coming matches crucial to winning the league. ENDS