Table Tennis star off to India on three-year scholarship
Table Tennis star, Resego Leepo, set off on the adventure of a lifetime on Saturday, leaving for India to begin a fully-funded three-year scholarship in Delhi.
The 21-year-old, who becomes the 10th local player to relocate to the Asian nation, is enrolled to study Commerce at Siri Guru Tegh Khalsa University.
The dream move was financed by the Indian government as part of Indian Technical Economic Cooperation (ITEC) exchange program.
Speaking to Voice Sport shortly after landing in India, Leepo, who is currently ranked 12th in the country, buzzed with excitement over the phone.
“The people here are friendly. I’ve met a few Batswana and they’re very accommodative and I get to learn different cultures, meeting my African fellows in a foreign land and also getting to play with some of the best international table tennis players and most importantly my degree,” said the Moshupa Spinners starlet, adding she was acclimatizing well to her new surroundings.
Outlining how the life-changing opportunity came about, Leepo explained, “During camps for national team call ups the Indian high commissioner frequently encouraged us to apply for the ITEC Program scholarship if we wish to study and play table tennis abroad, which I then applied for. To be eligible to apply one needs to be an athlete and have won several medals representing their club or country.”
With over 20 medals to her name, at both international and domestic level, including twin Golds at the BISA National Finals, Leepo more than met this criteria.
“I won this scholarship through hard work and determination, which has shown in my results over the last two seasons,” she added cheerfully, making special mention of her parents for their unwavering support.
For her part, Botswana Table Tennis Association (BTTA) Public Relations Officer, Tshegofatso Malapa praised the Indian High Commission for their tireless efforts to grow the sport locally.
“I would like to thank the Indian High Commissioner to Botswana for its continued support in giving lifetime opportunities to Botswana table tennis players and their great partnership with us,” said Malapa.