11 Feb 2014

Fireworks are expected at this years’ Botswana Karate Association youth national championships finals after impressive qualifiers over the weekend (February 8-9).

More than 200 young karatekas converged at the BOKA dojo in Gaborone to fight for a slot in the finals of the championships where a selection was to be made for a national team for the Zone VI duty. The regional Zone VI games are slated for Zambia in June.

In the boys’ 14-15 years category, Thebe Duna produced a last minute polished performance to convince the judges that he was the better of the 10 contestants. He inched past the likes of Phillipe Revaka and was tied to Leornard Modise in the finals.

Modise who together with Revaka were in camp for the Africa Youth Games, was not an easy path in the park but a last minute lapse cost him first place honours. The 15-year old Bafenyi Karate club champion came second in last year’s finals. He, together with Revaka and Tshepho, form the youth games team kata.

After a performance in the preliminaries in the junior 9-10 years category kata sensation Charlene Rautenbauch emerged victorious beating Linda Shabi to the first spot. Charlene, a gold medal winner at the Durban Kofukan World cup last year was not so lucky when she fell to the second spot on kumite.

In the category of girls aged between 12 and 14, Thato David was crowned champion while Obakeng fell to the second spot. In boys’ category, Archibald Lecase was crowned ahead of Mohammed Khan. ENDS