21 Nov 2024

Botswana ladies’ karate team is in Pamplona, the northern city of Spain to participate in the Karate World Cup championships.

The team qualified for the World Karate Federation (WKF) sanctioned tournament after an impressive showing at the 13^th African Games in Ghana early this year.

The trio of Lethabo Sekano, Lesego Masimola and Amantle Leburu were ranked third in the continent after scooping bronze in Accra and automatically placed a berth for the world cup.

Previously known as WKF Team World Championships, the world cup is set to feature the best karate teams from around the globe and will take place from today to Sunday.

The list of competing teams includes 80 squads that have earned their tickets and confirmed their participation after their success during the qualification process in the last world championships and the continental championships.

With a tally of 18 teams from Asia, 33 from Europe, two from Oceania, 12 from the Americas and 15 from Africa, the tournament is set to be a true celebration of global karate talent.

Botswana has been drawn in Group B, undoubtedly the group of death alongside karate powerhouses in the mould of China, Brazil, Germany and Italy.

Speaking from their base in Spain on Wednesday, Botswana karate team coach Sensei Ofentse Bakwadi was highly optimistic of his charges despite a maiden appearance at this stage of the karate tournament.

“Botswana has never sent a female team to the world championships ever. So they are the first team to compete at this global level and we are hopeful they shall do well.

 They have been working hard and I have not put any pressure on them, but just want to them to do their utmost best,” said Bakwadi.

Botswana’s superb duo of Sekano and Masimola will be joined by Charlene Magalie, who replaced Leburu as he has not travelled with the team.

Bakwadi said the trio had displayed a polished performance in their last assignments and consistently finished on the podium at continental level.

The team is the current champion of the Commonwealth Karate Championships after scooping gold in Birmingham in 2022.

Bakwadi said the past performances regionally and internationally gave the team a lot of motivation and showed what they were capable of.

For her part, Sekano, who scooped double bronze at the continental showpiece in Ghana, said the world team championships was the biggest competition in her karate career.

She said seeing that they finished third at the Africa games, they would be proud to complete the global top 10 bracket.

Sekano said her team members brought an array of experience from local and international tournaments, having participated together at the local open championships and the much fancied AUSC Region 5 tournament.

“This is our first ever biggest break in karate,” she said. Ends