23 Sep 2013

Botswana’s Under 51kg senior ladies karate golden girl, Thato Malunga, may see her dream of getting another medal at the seventh Commonwealth Karate Championships go up in smoke due to lack of funds from the local karate governing body. 

In an interview, a seemingly distraught Malunga who has been impressive in the international scene, said she was part of the karate team that took part in the last two editions.

She brought home bronze in the individual Kumite from Cape Town in 2009 together with Goitseone Mongologa and Bathami Ikhutseng. In the last edition hosted in 2011 in Sydney, Malunga inched closer to victory and brought a silver medal in the individual Kumite becoming the only member of the ladies team to get a medal.

She also boosts of two silver medals from the closely contested World Championships that were held in Portugal last year. Now Malunga is on a mission to find sponsorship that will settle her competition expenses amounting to a hefty P17 905.

Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) publicity secretary, Jerry Ditlhong explained that they had not been able to meet the financial demands to send athletes to Montreal, Canada where the karate showdown would take place expected from October 10-14. Ditlhong further explained that the athletes were sent after being funded from a different vote by the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC). This, he said was done as part of preparations for the September All Africa Games that were hosted by Mozambique.

On the same principle BOKA has decided to send the junior team rather than the senior team to the event to prepare for the Africa Youth Games to be hosted in Gaborone. Ditlhong stated that due to lack of funds they managed to find a sponsor that has promised to send at least seven members of the junior team to the championships.

Some of the karatekas from the youth team that have made the grade are Khaya Groth and Katlego Tsenene who have just returned from Tunisia after the Africa Junior Championships. The duo is to be joined by an additional five athletes who are champions of the just ended Zone VI games.

The Commonwealth tournament is an event that is organised by the Commonwealth Karate Federation and only members of the World Karate Federation take part. The 1st edition was held in Manchester, England in 2003. ENDS