15 Nov 2021

Botswana has sent two male karatekas to this year’s World Karate Championships.

Gofaone Mosupiemang and Kagiso Mophuting will join other top notch athletes at the state-of-the-art Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai to compete for world honours at the biennial tournament.

The world championships are the highest level of competition for karate and they are organised by the global karate governing body, World Karate Federation (WKF).

Mophuting is set to participate in the men’s individual kata marking his first entry in the elite category.

The 18-year-old has been in an impressive form locally and in regional tournaments.

He now has his eyes set on the world stage and vows to give out his best to scoop the first position.

Mophuting, who is the current Commonwealth junior individual kata champion, will face tough opposition from the likes of reigning Japanese champion, Ryo Kiyuna.

Kiyuna is also the current world champion and Olympic gold medallist.

Other interesting opponents to look out to are Adnane Elhakim of Morocco and Abdelhakim Haoua of Algeria, among others.

The 24-year-old Mosupiemang is set to fight in the male kumite 75kg category.

He is also making a debut at the world champs and promises to give his best shot.

Mosupiemang admitted that the tournament was an elite tournament with some of the world’s best athletes in contention.

Though he was not impressed by his last performance at the Africa championships in Morocco, Mosupiemang promised to pull up the sleeves for the world top spot.

He will come face to face with the likes of world champion, Bahman Asgari of Iran.

He is also expected to face tough opposition from the Olympic gold medallist and two times world champion, Luigi Busa of Italy.

Speaking briefly before the team left for Addis Ababa enroute the United Arab Emirates, the team coach, sensei China Metswi expressed hope on his charges, saying the world champs were a perfect launching pad for promising talent.

He said the most significant thing in taking part in such high quality tournaments was exposure and experience karatekas acquired.

Sensei Metswi said he was impressed to see the likes of Mophuting and Moruiemang break into the senior national team ranks.

The team is expected back home on November 21.  ENDS