KEY POINTS:
Fiji were cursing what might have been while Botswana were pondering what happens next after their eye-catching world netball championship campaign was soured by a 65-20 pummelling by the Pacific islanders today.
Botswana, the last of 16 nations to arrive here for the championship, a day late, depart
Auckland on Sunday with a new world ranking of 10, and a renewed sense of hope that unexpected victories over better credentialed Caribbean opposition will somehow lead to more meaningful international exposure for their team of rank amateurs.
After pipping Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago by solitary points in their lower division games, the African minnows had dreamt of their inaugural world championship campaign being rewarded with a single digit ranking.
However, the fact they did not manage double figures on the scoreboard until the third-quarter ensured they finished their tournament with a heavy defeat.
Until replacement goal attack Motlhokwa Motsumi netted Botswana's 17th goal with 3min 40sec remaining, they risked joining Malaysia as joint holders of the tournament's lowest score.
Fiji, meanwhile, scored at will until the final quarter when they spelled starting shooters Taraima Rara and Matelita Shaw.
Rara was prolific from the opening centre pass and put her feet up for the run home after recording an impressive 46 goals from 49 attempts.
Her counterpart Tebogo Radipotsane was allowed just 10 attempts throughout the first three quarters, underlining Fiji's total control.
Fiji romped to a 20-3 lead at the first break and a dozen unanswered goals in the lead-up to halftime ensured there would be no fairytale comeback for the popular Botswanans.
They saved their best for last, winning a tardy final quarter 12-3 as Fiji went through the motions and those accidental passes no longer freakishly went to hand.
Botswana coach Joe Makakaba could not comprehend how his team - buoyant after consecutive victories - were so flat.
"It is not a very good ending, even warming up you could see they were nervous, they never gave their best," he said.
"I thought it (the two wins) was going to be motivating for them but it turned out to be something different."
His captain Mmaneke Mocuminyane, who heads back to her job as a lecturer at a teachers' training college in Gaborone next week, is now hoping for a different outcome for her sport on the strength of their unprecedented success.
Botswana's next scheduled assignment is next year's Confederation of Southern African Netball Associations (COSANA) tournament - the path they took to qualify for Auckland by finishing third - but Mocuminyane was optimistic friendlies and even test series could be on the horizon, possibly even the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
"Executive members (of Botswana netball) were here with us so hopefully they see the benefits of international exposure."
In terms of attracting financial backing, Mocuminyane hoped their giant-killing exploits against the West Indians would pay dividends.
"It's important we go back home with something, it will help when we try and convince people to take the sport seriously, we can argue our case."
Fiji, denied a place in the quarterfinals by a shock 36-42 loss to the Cook Islands in pool play, are also plotting to the future after their ranking dropped a spot to ninth.
Player-coach Vilimaina Davu said a Tri-Series with Samoa and the Cook Islands was work in progress.
- NZPA
