07 Jun 2015

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Tshenolo Mabeo has encouraged the Japan Karate Association (JKA) Botswana leadership to open as many clubs as possible in schools.

That, Mabeo said at the JKA annual national championship in Thamaga on Saturday, June 6 would reach a considerable number of young people who could then be developed into athletes.

Minister Mabeo, who is also the MP for Thamaga-Kumakwane, said the tournament marked the present and future of Africa Sport personalities.

He said karate being a sport of discipline, athletes must exercise caution and avoid indulgence in drugs and other performance enhancing drugs which have cut short many promising careers.

JKA Botswana patrons also took turns to applaud the impressive growth of the style as it strives to reach its target of appealing to different communities and youth by 2020.

In an interview on the sidelines of the JKA annual national championships, JKA chairperson, Sensei Steady Basupang said their ambition was a step in the right direction for youth development.

Basupang, who had grown in the organisation from his formative years as an athlete to a reputable sport administrator, said he was impressed by the level of commitment displayed by all involved in the association.

The style, developed from the Japanese Shotokan karate do, has produced top notch karatekas in the mould of female kata sensation Lame Hetanang and hard hitting under 21 kumite karateka Titus Ponatshego. One of the decent karatekas from the JKA stable is China Metswi.

Bakwena Paramount Kgosi, Kgari Sechele III is amongst a few leaders who rose through the ranks at JKA and also a patron of the karate style.

In the past, JKA had offered to the national team a kata team that brought honours to the country by scooping silver medals at the Abuja, Nigeria, All Africa Games in 2003.

It had also been credited for producing high level sport administrators both at club and national executive level amongst them, former Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) president and former JKA chief instructor, Jeff Tembo.

The day long championships had drawn karatekas from over 30 clubs countrywide with a total of over 300 in attendance. ENDS