14 Sep 2016

Judo starlet Gavin Bogopa reckons that he has gained a lot of experience from the Rio 2016 Olympics and is now an athlete with new vision.

The 20-year-old Bogopa, made his first appearance at the Olympics this year, thus becoming the first  Judo athlete from Botswana to compete at the Olympics.

Despite losing his first fight and getting knocked out in the early stages of the competition, Bogopa said he was glad of the experience because it was a learning curve.

“Losing at the Olympics has motivated me and considering my age, I now believe that I have a long way to go. Now I have a lot of targets that I want to achieve. I want to compete at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games,” Bogopa said in an interview.

He said he wants to stamp his mark on international competitions, starting with the Africa Games, Commonwealth games and African Judo Championships and win gold medals from those competitions.

Bogopa said his height put him at a disadvantage against shorter opponents in his category and makes it a challenge to apply his techniques in his fights.

Through consultation with his coach, Kingsley Segokotlo, he has decided to switch to a different category where he believes the combination of his techniques and height would work perfectly.

“Right now most of athletes are off-season but I have not stopped training with my coach. My training seeks to beef me up and gain more muscle,” he explained.

Bogopa fought U-60kg category in Brazil, but now is training to move and compete in the under-66kg category.

His wish is to find a scholarship in order to afford him the opportunity to improve his skills. ENDS