06 Mar 2024

Botswana national karate team is expected to take to the stage today at the 13^th African Games held in Accra, Ghana.

Lethabo Sekano, Lesego Masimola and Amantle Leburu will compete in the Kata individual and Kumite individual.

Their male counterparts duo of Kao Nsala and Gofaone Mosupiemang will compete in in the team Kata and Kumite individual.

Although karate was a late entry as they were informed of their participation at the games on the eve of their departure on Tuesday, that did not dampened the team’s spirits.

The team’s coach, Ofentse Bakwadi told BOPA that he had spoken to his team that despite being late entrants, they should do their best.

“As for preparations, they had been training because we are in a national team selection season, so generally they have been preparing for the selection tournament,” he said.

Bakwadi said he was confident that his charges would deliver good results.

Masimola said she was ready for the competition.

“Although, we were told late about the competition Batswana should expect good results from us. We are not going to participate but to compete and we want to claim our place in terms of being one of the codes that win medals for the country,” she said.

Mosupiemang said the national team selection had helped them to train hard and that alone came in handy.

After missing the World Championships, he was of the view that the games came at the appropriate time for him to represent the country.

“I am going to do by best at this which will be my second Games, and try to improve on the seventh position I got at my previous tournament,” he said. Ends