Junior Karate team scoops Gold at WKF Youth League
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday March 31, 2026 10:34
Leitch Michelle was also on the podium with a bronze medal in the girls Under-14 kumite (-47kg). The team was competing at the World Karate Federation (WKF) Youth League in Harare, Zimbabwe. Kgosi defeated top competitors from Peru, France, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia on her path to secure the gold medal.
Botswana Karate Assocation (BOKA) president, Mpho Bakwadi, told Sport Monitor that the team delivered an outstanding and historic performance at the WKF Youth League.
“We had a team of 16 athletes representing Botswana, they made history by securing five medals, one golf and four bronze medals,” he said.
“This remarkable achievement reflects the athletes’ hard work, discipline and the continuous growth of karate in our country. It is a performance we can all be proud of, and it sets a strong foundation for even greater success in the future.”
Bakwadi added that there were several lessons that they picked from the competition, firstly preparation and discipline truly pay off.
He noted that the athletes performed well, showed that consistent training, focus and mental strength make a real difference on the international stage. He said the second lesson was that exposure to high-level competition is crucial.
“Competing against the best in the world helps our athletes understand the standards required and where we need to improve, especially in areas like tactical awareness and match management. “We also learnt that investment in development is key. While the results are impressive, they highlight the need for more support in terms of funding, international exposure and structured development programmes,” Bakwadi said.
He explained that they also learnt that team unity and support systems matter, the role of coaches, parents and the federations is vital.
Bakwadi said strengthening such support will only lead to even better results going forward. He highlighted that overall, the experience has shown that Botswana is on the right path, but there is still room to grow and reach even greater heights.
Top winners included Italian Roberto Guglielmetti, Valentino Rojas (Peru), Raahi Ramchunder (South Africa), and Anna Satter (Netherlands).