Judo team gains momentum ahead of Region 5 Games
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday October 6, 2026 10:12
The competition also provided valuable preparation for Theresa Tagarira, who is set to represent Botswana at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, from October 31 to November 13. Speaking to Sport Monitor, head coach, Thato Lebang said preparations for the two major competitions are progressing well despite a number of challenges along the way.
“The team selection started at the beginning of the year with a long list of cadets, aged between 14 and 17. Most of them came through the Re Ba Bona Programme and the Judo to School Programme,” he said.
“The selection was based on the Botswana Judo Federation (BJF) national trials and the results from the Re Ba Bona Ha competitions.”
According to Lebang, the national team long list comprised seven girls and eight boys.
The squad subsequently entered a structured training programme in preparation for the AUSC Region 5 Games and made its first competitive appearance at the Southern Africa Judo Confederation (SAJC) Championships in Lusaka in March.
He added the performances in Lusaka were encouraging and gave the coaching staff confidence in the young judokas.
Leabo Gaolefufa won gold in the under-81kg category, while Laone Sebako and Japhet Tsvare claimed silver medals in the under-48kg and under-60kg categories respectively. Dikgang Kwadibana (under-50kg), Thobo Kgori (under-66kg) and Pelo Moreosele (under-44kg) won bronze medals.
Malebogo Kapeko (under-52kg), Bofelo Maila (under-55kg), Caleb Solomon (under-60kg) and Legodile Ngwenya (under-49kg) finished fifth.
Lebang said the initial competition plan was to enter two additional tournaments to help narrow down the selection while giving the athletes greater exposure to international competition.
“We had planned to compete in the South Africa Open Judo Championships in June and the Maputo SAJC Championships in August. That did not happen due to financial constraints and the cancellation of competitions.
“However, the larger team remained in the training programme,” he added.
Botswana was eventually allocated six slots for the AUSC Region 5 Games, with the final team selected in September.
Lebang said the athletes continued with their preparations during the Independence holidays before travelling to Johannesburg for the national ranking tournament.
The YOG team, comprising Tagarira and her sparring partner Moreosele, was also part of the travelling squad.
The Johannesburg tournament produced another encouraging medal haul, with Tagarira, Moreosele and Kapeko winning gold medals. Sarah Tagarira and Tsvare claimed silver, while Kgori took bronze. Gaolefufa narrowly missed out on a medal.