Botswana's junior national squash team is scheduled to leave for South Africa Friday morning to battle for honours at the weekend's Easterns Dunlop Junior Squash Open in Johannesburg, official here said on Thursday.

National team coaches Moses Tshiamonyana and Titus Mlalazi told the media that they believe they have selected the cream of junior squash in the country. The coaches have added a few players to the team that travelled to Namibia for the All Africa Championships in March. Mlalazi said the team has prepared intensively and stand a good chance of doing well at the tournament.

National team manager, Conrad Ntshebe said the tournament was part of their junior development training circuit.

"It falls under one of the events we attend to develop and fast track our juniors while also giving them the necessary exposure," Ntshebe said.

He said the idea was to have a large pool of experienced junior players, hence the decision to add a few more players to the team that played at the All Africa Championships. The tournament is expected to start late on Friday and go on until Sunday.

Ntshebe said participation in the All Africa tournament had positively impacted the youngsters.

"They are pretty motivated since coming from All Africa Champs. I think being exposed to that kind of squash has changed their attitude. I do little talking during training sessions because they are self-motivated."

Ntshebe is confident a number of the youngsters have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of Botswana's United States-based squash star, Alister Walker.

Meanwhile Walker, who is currently the world number 14, fell to former British Open champion Gregory Gaultier at the 2013 campaign on Tuesday. The Frenchman dispatched the Botswana star in straight sets 11-6, 11-9, and 11-1.

Walker carries the southern African country's hopes at next month's World Championships in France. Endi

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