The twin kick to stardom
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday February 24, 2025 10:42
At some point, I was confused when the other one finished competing, and then all of a sudden, there was an identical figure competing on another mat. The Ramotswa-born brothers have similar builds and demeanours. I wondered, how is it possible? I was only to be told that the two, Jonathan and Louis Chengeta, are twins. The boys are on the rise in karate and used to compete in the same category and face each other during competitions. During an interview, the pair spoke about the thrill of competing in different categories this year. Jonathan is a member of the Pro Fitness Karate Club based at BNYC (Botswana National Youth Council) in Gaborone. “I started karate as a Standard Two pupil in 2016. We used to play football and karate, but my father, Mbiganyi Chengeta, advised us to choose karate. He needed something that would instil discipline in us,” he said.
Jonathan admitted that karate has saved him in life. He said when he was doing Standard Seven, he quit karate and joined athletics, only to derail off the tracks. Upon arrival at Chobe Junior Secondary School in Kasane, he made his way back to karate. “In 2022, I returned to karate; we went to compete in Francistown. My twin won a gold and I settled for a silver medal. We qualified for the national selection in Gaborone, where we both walked away with bronze medals. We also did kata and won gold, which gave us an opportunity to be selected for the national team for the first time. At 16 years, we fought in the Under 55kg category,” Jonathan said. The twins qualified for the finals, where they fought against each other. Jonathan and Louis went to Durban, South Africa, for the 2022 AUSC Karate Region 5 Games, where the latter won a gold and his brother a silver. Jonathan said in 2023, Louis failed to qualify for the same tournament, which was held in Harare, Zimbabwe. “I managed to defend my title. I was enrolled at Mogoditshane Senior Secondary School, which is a Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) Centre of Excellence. At the 2024 AUSC Karate Region 5 Games in Namibia, I did not do well. I won a bronze medal in the junior team. My brother scooped a silver medal in the senior team and he was also in team kumite that won a gold medal,” Jonathan said. He competed in kata at the 2024 Commonwealth Karate Championships, winning a bronze medal. But it was not easy for him in the kumite as he walked away with a bronze in the team event. “I was also selected to be part of the national team that was to compete in Birmingham, England at the Commonwealth Karate Championships in 2022. Unfortunately, he did not make the trip due to a mix-up in communication,” he said. Over the weekend, he also won a silver medal in the Under-67kg category. “I am proud of myself because I was fighting against people who have been in the senior national team for a long time. They have been winning even at international competitions,” he said.
Jonathan said he does not see Louis as competition but as motivation and a training partner. He said that is why they saw it important to separate their categories and avoid fighting against each other. Jonathan said his dream is to one day become a world champion. He noted that he is still a brown belt because he is not able to grade properly. For his part, Louis, who is more down to earth and has a few words to share about their karate journey, said they were introduced to karate by a friend, and it was not something they were taking seriously, little did they know that they were engraving the future. “I made my national team debut in 2022, the same year as my twin brother. My father is a police officer, and in 2018, he was transferred to Kasane hence our move there. We met a coach called Andrew Mosokobanji, who was in charge of BOKA's Re Ba Bona Project,” Louis said. He said during the weekend tournament, he won a silver medal and another silver was from team kumite. Louis said it is a blessing to have a twin brother because they are always there for each other.
He said they are currently waiting for their Form 5 results. “We intend to apply for the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) scholarship so that we can get an opportunity to compete in international competitions,” Louis said. Sensei George Tshikare, who was their coach at Mogoditshane Senior Secondary School, told MmegiSport that he worked with the twins when they were preparing for the Region 5 Games. “The twins have a bright future ahead; they are very talented, brave, passionate, and focused on what they want to achieve. It is a pity that we do not have structures in our sport where we can preserve such talent. Given the opportunity, they can make it to the highest level,” Tshikare said. He said the twins are gifted, they have speed, good kickers, and are good listeners during training. He added that even when they compete against each other, they give their best.
Full name: Jonathan Chengeta Date of birth: January 20, 2006 Place of birth: Ramotswa Favourite technique: Chudan mawashi geri Hobbies: Karate Role model: Lemogang Keolopile
Full name: Louis Chengeta Date of birth: January 20, 2006 Place of birth: Ramotswa Favourite technique: Ura mawashi geri Hobbies: Karate Role model: Keolopile