01 Jun 2015

The Botswana karate team once again rose to the occasion and came inches close to scoring another resounding victory at the just ended regional Zone VI karate championships hosted in South Africa over the weekend (May 30-31).

Botswana had sent a strong team of 62 athletes both from the junior team and the seniors and brought home about 58 medals. South Africa became champions after surpassing the Botswana team by numerical advantage of athletes taking part in the tournament.

Botswana’s junior team became the toast of the tournament scooping several gold medals despite tough opposition from the hosts.

The junior kata team, fresh from an impressive performance from the Africa Youth Games struck gold with Phillipe Revaka, Tshepho Baumake and Leonard Modise becoming champions in team kata.

The female junior team was also in a mean mood with Gomolemo Mabolokane, Centy Kgosikoma and Otshepheng Kgosibodiba perfecting the right karate moves to the delight of all the five judges. The senior male kata team clinched gold ahead of South Africa and included Ofentse Bakwadi, Khaya Groth and Emmanuel Bulayani.

Khaya had a sloppy start to the championships with victory eluding him in the individual kata category.

The 2011 All Africa Games medalists’ female team kata of Thato Malunga, Tsholofelo Maduma and Baone Radiposo also made their intentions clear when they were crowned champions. Africa Junior kumite champion Thabang Setshego added another gold medal in the individual Under 21 kumite category together with Matlaaone Thebeng.

Junior team assistant coach Goitseone Mongologa was full of praise for her charges who scooped 16 gold medals from the overall 34 medals of the junior team.

She said new faces in the likes of Onkemetse Chepete and Setso Sebina performed above expectations. Senior team coach Peter Molefhe said despite a disappointing performance he was generally impressed by the overall endurance of karatekas at the tournament.

The team assembled very late after a long layoff from regional championships. Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) vice president technical Mpho Bakwadi said the success of the junior team gave them hope that they will do well in future tournaments.

He said they were planning to take the junior team to the Commonwealth Karate championships in India before they take part in the All Africa Games.  The Junior team will also travel to Indonesia for the World Junior championships and a training camp in Croatia. ENDS