Second placed Troopers narrowed the gap at the top of the basketball league last Saturday by beating leaders, Police, 78-53 at the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks. With 23 points, the defending champions are now only a single point behind Police. Police captain, James Kalebwu said he was disappointed with their loss against Troopers.
He said Police faced a mammoth task on the day because they have never beaten Troopers in a league game. Troopers are last year's league champions and are favourites to retain the crown.
Kalebwu said they expected to win the game this time around as they have had a good season. "We have had a very good season and this was the game that was going to prove to us that we have what it takes," he said. He stated that they dominated the game but started losing concentration in the third quarter. He said Troopers have more experienced players than his side and that is why they are hard to beat. "We nurture our players from an early age whilst Troopers have experienced players, some from outside the country," he said.
Kalebwu praised Troopers saying they deserved the win as they are a more organised side. He said the defeat will not discourage them because they are going back to the drawing board to review their game plan. "We are going to concentrate more and make sure that we stay top of the league," he promised. He said his team will surely surprise Troopers as they are going to steal the title when least expected. "We will have our full squad and we will be more prepared," he said.
Ratanang Tsayang, Troopers captain said he is happy about the result of the Saturday game although their objective was to score more than 100. He said they tried new systems in the game and that is why Police dominated. "There are instances where we lost concentration and made mistakes but in the end, we were able to win," he said. He added that his team needs to learn how to play controlled balls because the players have no problem with scoring. He stated that his team has problems in defence and stamina and they will improve on these aspects. He urged his teammates to attend practice so that they do not lose stamina during matches. "If our teammates respect practice, then we are sure to take the trophy home again this year round," he said.
Results for other league games over the weekend
Eagles 74 NIIT 85
Cadets 91 Eagles 57
Police 58 Troopers 73
NIIT 36 Spartans 82
BDF V 78 Cadets 74
WOMEN
Police 67 NIIT 17
Relics 36 BDF V 61