07 Jun 2017

Botswana karate team has scooped seven medals from Yaounde, Cameroon from the Africa Karate Championships that ended on Sunday.

Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) was represented by a team of nine karatekas made up of eight males and one female at the just ended Union Federation of African Karate (UFAK) Cup and the team scooped two gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze medals.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday BOKA chairperson Sensei Tshepho Bathai said the competition provided a chance to review the team’s progress.

Sensei Bathai noted that the team displayed their best performance in history of karate at the UFAK championship even though there was still a lot to do to match countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.

He said the team did well and surpassed the target they set of bringing home four medals .

He noted that before the last day of the tournament they had already accumulated five medals before the other athletes could participate in their categories.

He said the competition was tough and the team represented well as they trained and they were committed to bringing back medals home.

Sensei Ofentse Bakwadi scooped a gold medal in the male individual kata category while Thabang Setshego scooped silver medal under the male individual kumite under 60kg and the only lady who went with the team of males Lame Hetanang scooped a silver medal under the female individual kumite under 50kg.

The team continued to do well as Oratile Caiphus won bronze medal under the male individual kumite under 75kg, with Phillipe Raveka getting bronze medal for the 16 to 17 years individual kata and also Bronze medal for the 16-17 years individual kumite category.

Botswana team did their best by scooping gold medal for the male team kata made of Sensei Ofentse Bakwadi, Phillipe Raveka and Mahommad Ali Hussain. ENDS