01 Sep 2022

The national karate team is set to compete at the 10th Commonwealth Karate Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom September 7-8.

The team leaves this weekend and comprises 15 karatekas.

Team Botswana dominated the team kumite events winning both the men and women titles at the ninth Commonwealth Karate Championships in South Africa in 2018.

However, Team Karate South Africa (KSA) were declared overall winners in terms of the medal count having won a total of 24 gold medals.

In an interview, Botswana’s most decorated karateka, Ofentse Bakwadi, who had won bronze and silver medals at the ninth edition, said he was optimistic that the team would perform well, having engaged in intensive preparations ahead of the tournament.

Bakwadi, who would compete in the senior male individual kata and team kata in Birmingham, said the team was in perfect shape, comprising karatekas who had shown maturity and hunger in the recent past tournaments and they would leave no stone unturned in their bid to win the championship.

Bakwadi would face tough opposition from the likes of Jesse Sim of South Africa, Shaun Yuen of Australia and India.

In 2018, he fell short of victory in the team kata after losing to the host South Africa and scooped silver and also won a bronze in the individual category.

On one hand, he is likely to form a lethal combination in Birmingham with Australian based Kagiso Mophuting and Boemo Ramasimong in the male team kata.

Mophuting won a gold in Durban while still taking part in the male 16-17 years individual kata class in 2018.

He is expected to join the rest of the team in England from Australia and take part in the male Under 21.

Another interesting karateka from the Botswana team is under 84kg kumite sensation Oratile Caiphus.

Caiphus missed out on the last edition of the Commonwealth due to work commitments but is in perfect shape to reproduce his consistent form at global level in Birmingham.

He will also be faced with tough opponents from Trinidad and Tobago, England and Canada in the male U84kg kumite.

In the U67kg individual kumite, Botswana would pin hopes on the Durban U60kg bronze medallist, Teto Wakwena.Resco as Wakwena is fondly known has shown sparks of brilliance in local matches and is all fired up for a respectable medal slot in the Commonwealth championships.

Another medal prospect in the U60kg division is former Africa Youth Games champion, Thabang Setshego.

Some exciting karatekas who make up the junior team that travels to Birmingham include Region 5 double gold medallists, Kao Nsala and Kutlwano Atlhopheng. Rorisang Lekgela, Louis Madibela and Amantle Leburu complete the squad.

The teams leaves in two groups, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. ENDS