27 Jun 2013

Botswana has sent a strong contingent of 43 karatekas to defend the 12th annual Zone VI championships taking place in the Namibian capital of Windhoek on June 28.

In a phone interview from Charleshill border post enroute to Namibia, publicity secretary of Botswana Karate Association, Jerry Ditlhong said they have worked very hard to bring together both senior and junior gold medalists from the local tournaments and have left no stone unturned in their bid to haul gold medals at the championships.

Just after the Namibia Zone VI championships the junior Karate team will go on camp to brace for the closely contested Junior Africa Championships penciled for Tunisia in August.

Two months later the senior team will jet off to Canada for the much sort after Commonwealth Championships while the junior team will wrap up their busy schedule with a trip to Madrid, Spain to attend the Junior World Cup.

The team which left by road on Wednesday has a cream of the crop athletes who will undoubtedly defend last year’s 91 medals haul during the last edition of the tournament in Gaborone.

They will be faced with stiff competition from South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Mozambique amongst others.

Botswana will be represented by 15 senior karatekas and 28 from the junior team. The female senior team comprises of the likes of kumite gold medal hopeful Thato Malunga, Martha Motsamai, Tsholofelo Maduma and the impressive kata gold medal prospect Lame Hetanang.

In the male’s senior team all eyes will be on the on form Oratile Caiphus who has been very impressive in local tournaments. Another gold medal prospect is Ofentse Bakwadi who is returning from a long layoff owing to a shoulder injury he sustained during the BOKA Senior Championships last month.

 For the junior team all eyes will be on Kaya Groth, Loagonyana Phefo and Tlotlang Ponatshego amongst others.  ENDS