Africa-Press – Botswana. Despite falling short in the final, Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) Vice Chairperson Sumod Damodar says the nation can hold its head high after successfully hosting a week-long international cricket tournament that concluded last week in Gaborone.
Sierra Leone emerged champions of the four-nation tournament after defeating host Botswana by 39 runs in the final. Mozambique claimed third place following a 52-run win over eSwatini.
From Damodar’s perspective, the event was a triumph in nearly every respect — except for the outcome on the pitch.
“It was great from all angles,” he said in a telephone interview. “In terms of participation, the tournament itself went without any incident. The only disappointing part was the final result because Botswana should have won that tournament.”
Hosting experience
Botswana, known for its increasing commitment to women’s cricket, has become a reliable host in the African cricketing landscape. The BCA previously organized high-profile events, including the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Damodar was quick to point out that this recent event, though smaller in scale, still carried its share of demands.
“We have hosted quite a few tournaments in the last five years, mostly for women. So hosting this one, which only had four teams, was less in terms of magnitude,” he noted. “Challenges will always be there—things pop up unexpectedly—but all in all we had everything under control.”
Budgetary constraints, a common issue in regional tournaments, also came into play, but Damodar said they did not derail the event. “Budgets are always a challenge sometimes, but the visiting teams were happy that everything went well.”
Key lessons
Beyond logistics, Damodar emphasized the importance of continuous improvement, both in infrastructure and team performance.
“Hosting tournaments comes with pressure—ensuring everything runs smoothly, that there are no hiccups, and that visiting teams are well taken care of,” he said. “But it’s also a learning opportunity. This tournament opened our eyes to where we need to improve—both as hosts and in terms of our team’s development.”
Though the trophy slipped away, Botswana gained valuable insights that could sharpen its competitive edge and enhance future events.
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