04 Aug 2016

Local karatekas have hailed the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to enlist karate to the sports programme for the Tokyo 2020   Olympic Games.

The decision to add karate to the Tokyo bound games was taken at the 129th IOC session in Rio de Janeiro this week. The IOC agreed to add karate together with baseball or softball, skateboard, sports climbing and surfing.

African Union Region 5 kumite champion, Thato Malunga could not hide her excitement at the announcement of the historic decision. Malunga who was set to retire from national duty in the near future and concentrate on teaching the sport to budding athletes said it has always been her dream to participate at the summer sport showpiece.

She has taken part at the most lucrative and closely contested karate tournaments such as the World Karate Federation (WKF) World Championships in Serbia, France and Commonwealth Championships in India and Australia.

She has also managed a gold medal at the Kofukan World cup in Russia, silver in Denmark and Portugal. Malunga has been active in karate since her primary school days at Ben Thema Primary School and is currently a second dan black belt instructor going for her third dan honours.

Ofentse Bakwadi also expressed his delight that finally after a long wait karate has been added as an Olympic sport. 

The well-travelled kata sensation from the Hayashi-Ha stable has also been keeping his fingers crossed that he places a berth at the Olympics. Bakwadi has an array of experience at international meets such as the annual US Open championships.

Regionally he has also impressed at Zone VI championships and Africa senior championships. Shakes, as Bakwadi is fondly called in karate dojos, started karate in 1992 at Gaborone Senior Secondary at the Samurai Karate club under the tutelage of Sensei Union Kgafela.

Local under 75kg kumite champion Oratile Caiphus also welcomed the decision hoping he continues with his impressive form at top drawer events. He has also just returned from the Australian Open in Sydney.

In an interview upon the announcement of the decision Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) Vice President (Technical), Shihan Mpho Bakwadi explained that the decision was long overdue. He said the world karate governing body WKF made a bid before, but was not successful.

He said the decision to approve the enlisting of karate was good news for the Union of African Karate Federations (UFAK). He said BOKA will now wait for decision by the mother body before preparing for the 2020 Games. ENDS