19 Jul 2022

Karatekas from across the country converged in Lobatse over the weekend to take part in a sports festival that ended on Sunday.

National team players such as Lame Hetanang, Oratile Caiphus and Lentle Tanyana as well as the team of youngsters that went to Durban recently also participated.

Sensei Tshepo Bathai, who is also the chairperson of Botswana Karate Association (BOKA), said in an interview that  the association was impressed with the turn up.

The chairperson said the games were used as the Botswana karate league, hence pulling all the stops to ensure that officiating was top notch.

“We had supervisors of the association, chairpersons of the technical commission, coaches’ commission and referees commission to ensure that everything is done in order,” he said.   Bathai said referees were selected by BOKA because the idea was to use the event for national team selection, adding even the venue, which was the Lobatse Sports Complex Hall, had to be relevant.   He said those who made the cut would be selected for the Commonwealth championships in Birmingham. Training was expected to resume as early as next week by national team coaches for both seniors and juniors.

He said by next week Wednesday, officials would share results of the weekend to the public so that the leading athletes would start preparations.

Sensei Bathai said before the Commonwealth Karate Championships, junior karatekas were expected to go to Turkey for the world cup, saying they too came in large numbers.

He said juniors who would be representing the country at the Junior African Championships in Durban would be selected from the weekend meet.  ENDS