11 Jul 2019

Botswana will, from July 12, host the 2019 Union Federation of Africa Karate (UFAK) Championship at the University of Botswana indoor sports arena.

Twenty-five African countries have so far registered to compete in the championship.

Botswana will be represented by 33 athletes, some of whom went to the Bloemfontein High-performance Centre for rigorous training.

Botswana Karate Association spokesperson, Isaiah Ramontshonyana, said the 33 junior and senior athletes would compete in different categories,.

Ramontshonyana said the team was ready to conquer Africa, adding that for a long time, they competed in the Africa Karate Championships though they did not prepare well.

He said Team Botswana was a well “oiled machine” and they had been competing in different high standard competitions in preparation for the competition.

Furthermore, he said they started their preparations early given that they selected the national team at the beginning of the year. “We used the two tournaments in Botswana before competing at the Region 5 and our senior team just arrived from the high performance centre in preparation for this tournament,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the junior category, Botswana will be represented by Kagiso Mophuting and Melrose Phuti in the individual katas 

In the individual kumite, there is Lesego Masimola under 48kg, Oratile Monametsi under 53kg, Elenosi Moalafi under 59kg and Tshephiso Motlhagodi in the over 59kg in the girl’s category.

In the boys category, individual Kumite there is Lame Stock under 55kg, Mmoloki Lekwale under 61kg, Dimpho Andy under 68kg, Clinton Mapeke under 76kg and Gustavo Johannes over 76kg. 

For the senior team, team Kata men has Ofentse Bakwadi, Vincent Magalie and Boemo Ramasimong, ladies Kata has Lesego Masimola, Centy Kgosikoma and Entle Maungwa.

For individual kata, Botswana will pin its hopes on Bakwadi and Lame Hetanang.

For the individual, women category in the under 50kg category there is Kgosikoma, 55kg - Gaone Mothoyomotona, Thato Malunga in under 61kg, Thabang Maleke in under 68kg, while Otilia Okopeng is in plus 68kg

In the individual events men in the under 60kg there is  Batlaareng Shabane, while Lemogang Koolopile will compete in the under 67kg, Gofaone Mosupiemang in the under 75kg, Oratile Caiphus under 84 kg, while Mogakolodi Mothabi is in plus 84kg.

For the ladies team kumite, there is Lethabo Sekano, Thato Malunga, Oratile Nkhumisang and Mothoyomotona.

Lemogang Koolopile, Kaone Molefe, Katlego, Tsenene, Gabriel Ramasimong, Thebe Duna, Dan Batlhomile and Tlotlang Ponatshego will compete in the men team kumite. ENDS