Chengeta scoops Commonwealth karate gold
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday November 10, 2026 10:32
Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) Elite Scholarship beneficiary, Louis Chengeta, has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with after scooping a gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Karate Championship held in Glasgow, Scotland.
Chengeta, who is studying at Aston University in Birmingham, told Sport Monitor that winning a Commonwealth gold medal was a lifetime achievement, adding that he had been training hard since the beginning of the year.
“It is not a surprise because I have been working hard and planning, and I was also left with executing everything on the tatami. It was not an easy road; there were some setbacks that I had to overcome and I had to up my game,” Chengeta said.
He said the achievement was a motivation going forward, despite missing out on the World Under-21 Championships.
“I missed out on the World Karate Federation (WKF) Cadet, Junior and U21 World Championships due to a lack of funds. We had spent the funds to travel to Algeria in September, so we had to be tactical about it and decided to attend the Commonwealth Karate Championship,” Chengeta said.
Meanwhile, Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) president, Mpho Bakwadi, said Chengeta’s win was an incredible moment for karate. He said Chengeta had shown that dedication, hard work and perseverance pay off.
“Winning gold at the Commonwealth Championship on such a prestigious stage is a remarkable achievement. I am proud of him and grateful that he continues to fly the Botswana flag high. This is what makes the journey worthwhile,” Bakwadi said.
However, BOKA was unable to send a team to the Commonwealth Championship as initially planned. Bakwadi explained that the challenge was financial constraints.
“We had hoped to send a full team to represent Botswana, but we could not secure the necessary funding to make it,” he said.
Bakwadi said they were fortunate that Chengeta was nearby, making it easy for him to take a short trip to Glasgow.
“We remain committed to ensuring that our athletes get the support and opportunity they deserve in future competitions,” Bakwadi added.
Another Motswana who took part in the Commonwealth Championship was Oratile Caiphus, who officiated as a referee under the England Karate Federation banner. Bakwadi said he was happy for Caiphus and hoped to see him become a WKF referee next year. He said this was an indication that local karate was doing something special that was being appreciated by other countries.