04 Aug 2015

Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) vice president technical, Mpho Bakwadi has expressed content at the level of preparations by the senior national karate team that is winding up training ahead of the Congo Brazzaville Africa Games.

A team of 13 athletes is expected to go into camp to prepare Africa’s biggest sporting showpiece billed for the first week of next month in the central African state. 

Bakwadi is convinced that after local tournaments that the association hosted and participation at regional competitions the team is ready to make another medals haul in Brazzaville.

Botswana registered an impressive performance at the 10^th edition of the Africa Games played in Maputo in 2011. Six athletes namely Thato Malunga, Tsholofelo Maduma, Baone Radiposo, Oratile Caiphus, Mpho Bosenakitso and Ofentse Bakwadi were part of the Maputo team. 

Bakwadi has formed a formidable partnership with Tebogo Molapong and Kevin Groth while Malunga is expected to be joined by Merylyn Manthe and Lame Hetanang who are new faces in the squad.

During the past week the team returned from a two weeks training camp in South Africa where they did not disappoint. 

The training camp at the Free State High Performance Centre followed a resounding victory that they registered in the annual Zone VI tournament hosted in Johannesburg in May.

Speaking at a special meeting the association held over the weekend, Bakwadi said they would send their elite and Zebra funded athletes to India for the upcoming Commonwealth championships. 

He, however, decried the fact that they did not send their karatekas to the World Karate Federation training camp. 

In the past, BOKA sent some karatekas to the WKF training camp in Greece. 

He said funds permitting they were planning to send at least five athletes to Indonesia for the WKF Cadet and Junior championships in November.

Bakwadi said they were also planning to bring an international instructor to conduct lessons for local referees. 

He said they were also in the process of opening up the second Re Ba Bona Ha academy following the successful operation of the Kasane one.

Meanwhile, the association ratified the membership of Ryushinkan Karate-Do to full time BOKA affiliate. 

BOKA president, Sensei David Mathe said the issue has been discussed since last year, and that they were convinced that administratively the new affiliate had done their task. Ends