Karate opts for juniors for Region 5 tourney
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday May 19, 2025 07:22


BOKA will instead send the junior team to the regional competition to be held in Namibia. Speaking to MmegiSport this week, BOKA public relations officer Mpho Bakwadi said the senior team has received an invite from Angola for the country’s 50th anniversary celebration in June.
He said the team would use the tournament to prepare for the UFAK Championship to be held in Nigeria in June, and the World Championship qualifiers. “Our senior karate team will be going to Angola for the country’s 50 years anniversary in June. It will be part of our preparation for Africa UFAK Championships in Nigeria in July. Also this year, anyone who gets a medal in Africa we will have the opportunity to attend the world qualifications in France whilst the World Championships will be held end of this year in Cairo, Egypt. We are sending them to Angola (for the invitational tournament), UFAK, World Qualifiers and for the Region 5 we are sending juniors and cadets. Remember, we cannot send everyone to all the tournaments. We as BOKA prioritise and decide which ones they can attend. Do not forget if we are to send everyone to Region 5, we will blow our yearly subvention on one event. So we are sending our Cadets, Juniors and Under 21 to the Region 5 and it will be preparation for the AUSC in Namibia in June,” Bakwadi told MmegiSport.
He highlighted that the senior and junior teams' preparations for their respective assignments are progressing well. Over the past weekend, BOKA had invited former world champion, Sandra Louw. “She was here for three days with the team. The athletes were excited and enjoyed their training especially the girl child students. It was an honor to train with a world champion and motivate them and share her experience and what to do in order to be a world champion,” said Bakwadi. BOKA would need P200,000 for the AUSC Region 5 Karate Championship and Bakwadi said they are relying on the Botswana National Sport Commission to assist in their quest to participate at the regional tournament.