16 Jul 2019

Botswana karate team has amassed a total of 13 medals; two silver and 11 broze medals at the Africa Karate championships (UFAK), which was held in Gaborone this past long weekend.

Both the junior and elite karatekas missed out a great opportunity, despite being buoyed by an audible home crowd to utilise the chance of grabbing gold medals.

The closely contested tournament, which was on its 18^th year, drew Africa’s cream of the crop athletes, who did not only battle for the continental title, but also contended for the possibility of acquiring points for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic standing.

Morocco, the hosts of next month’s All Africa Games, topped medals tables with 14 medals, 11 gold and three bronze followed by Egypt and Tunisia in the top three bracket. Botswana’s gold medal hopeful and former Africa male individual kata champion, Ofentse Bakwadi admitted in an interview on the sidelines of the tournament, that the team pulled all the stops for a clinical finish but were let down but ill preparations ahead of the matches.

Bakwadi, who clinched silver last year in Kigali, was dropped to the third spot and settled for a bronze medal in his category. Ednane Elhakimi of Morocco was unstoppable in the first and final round of the male elite kata while Egyptian Ahmed Shawky came on the second spot.

Bakwadi also teamed up with Vincent Magalie and Boemo Ramasimong in the male team kata and clinched a bronze medal.

In the elite male kumite, interesting youngsters Lemogang Koolopile and Batlareng Shabane went home with two bronze medals while 19-year-old female karatekas Lethabo Sekano and Centy Kgosikoma were also rewarded with bronze for their efforts.

The only two silver medals for the team came through Andy Dimpho in the junior male individual kumite under 68kg and Oratile Monametsi in the junior female kumite under 53kg.

Other interesting athletes who settled for the third spot were Lesego Masimolola, Tshepiso Motlhagodi, Clinton Makepe and Gustavo Johannes.

The senior female team kumite comprising of Thato Malunga, Sekano, Oratile Nkhumisang and Gaone Mothoyomotona got position six.

Malunga had hoped to bounce back to the top of the podium after a two year hiatus from competitive tournaments but lost against Morocco in the first round of the individual female kumite.

She was also fighting for the first time in the under 61kg from her usual under 55kg category.

In 2017 in Cameroon, Botswana brought home two gold medals, two silver and a silver while last year Bakwadi and Entle Maungwa scooped silver and bronze respectively. Ends