01 Mar 2017

Ambassador of Japan to Botswana, Masahiro Onishi says his desire is to see all judokas who would take full advantage of the new dojo make it and perform well at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Speaking at the dojo handover ceremony on February 28, Onishi said the dojo was the first of its kind in Botswana, therefore it was possible for judokas to hold specialised judo training and host official competitions in their new facility.

“I expect that this dojo will be available for consistent training sessions which will raise the level of performance of Batswana judokas and as the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will be held in Japan, I am sure that everyone present here has a strong hope that Batswana judokas will perform well,” he said.

The judo dojo named “Sensei Itsubo Memorial Dojo” was constructed through the grant assistance for the cultural grassroots projects of the Japanese government.

It is also under an initiative of the Japanese government called “sports for tomorrow.”

In that regard, Onishi said the initiative was aimed at enhancing the value of sports as the country head towards the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.

Talking about the late judo coach Keisuke Itsubo, who was attached to Botswana as Japan International Cooperation Agency volunteer, he said Sensei Itsubo worked with great enthusiasm on the development of judo in Botswana and had a profound positive influence on local judokas.

“Unfortunately, the young volunteer met his untimely demise in an accident in 2014, and during his memorial service held in Gaborone we watched many judokas, including children, doing their best display techniques they learned from him in order to praise and appreciate him as well as pray for the repose of his soul,” he said.

For his part, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Kago Ramokate said Botswana and Japan relationship went back to 50 years, adding that the dojo project was also conceived the same year that Botswana was commemorating golden jubilee celebration.

Ramokate said that alone was a land mark for sport, which Botswana could point as part of the celebrations.

He further said the ministry had many competing demands from sport which all demanded and required financial assistance.

In their quest to provide sport facilities in the country, he said, they had also tried to provide the big facilities such as stadiums, but they had not been able to cascade and go down to the other sporting code and provide facilities particularly for indoor sport

“So this dojo is one of the important milestone for Botswana sport to have a facility which accommodates and is able to provide space for indoor sporting events,” he said.

Botswana Judo Federation (BJF) president, Estony Pridgeon said the handing of dojo to the federation marked the beginning of a new era in her organisation, as they move into their new home from where they could enhance and build on their strategic plan to grow the sport of judo in Botswana.

Pridgeon said Judo was much more than the mere learning and application of combat techniques, in its totality it was a wonderful system of physical, intellectual and moral education.

“I am proud to say that we  now have this iconic building, built with collaboration and partnership with the Japanese government, the International Judo Federation, the Itsubo family ,and Botswana National Sports Commission,” she said.

Meanwhile, guests were treated to a mouth-watering sparring between Japanese Olympic Gold medallist judoka Haruka Tachimoto and Gavin Mogopa who represented the country at the 2016 Olympics. ENDS