05 May 2024

Over 500 karate athletes from 32 clubs in Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia have participated at the Gaborone Open International Karate Championship held at the University of Botswana Indoor Sports Arena on Saturday.

A member of the tournament Local Organising Committee, Ofentse Bakwadi said some clubs from other countries could not make it as they were stranded at ports of entry after being denied entry due to failure to produce parents consent letters.

He said their intention was to have a reasonable number of clubs at the championship to give the local athletes the much needed exposure and experience.

Despite other countries failing to make it to the championship, Bakwadi has hailed the championship as a success as it had displayed high level of competitiveness from the athletes.

To date, he said the country had hosted 14 editions of the championship.

Bakwadi said it was a challenge for local karatekas to travel to other countries for such competitions due to financial constraints in other countries, therefore hosting was an important milestone for them to harness their talent. 

Meanwhile, Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila, who officiated at the event, said true victory was not only winning medals but also about upholding the values of respect and fair play.

Therefore, Dr Mzwinila urged athletes to always compete in honour, intergrity and great sportsmanship.

 “As a psychologist, I am aware of emotional resilience and physiological well-being in terms of athlete’s performance, therefore, I encourage all athletes to focus on their mental health and well-being as they thrive for success both on and off the match,” he said. ENDS