Judo to honour departed instructor
Calistus Kolantsho | Thursday October 16, 2014 14:38
BJF coach, Sensei Kuapa Kgosipula told Mmegi Sport yesterday that the federation will hold a memorial service for Itsubo during World Judo Day.
He said the event would be held at Fairgrounds arena.
He said they intend to invite delegates from the Japanese embassy. Kgosipula saidItsubo came to Botswana as a volunteer through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The deceased arrived in Botswana in July last year and his contract was to expire in July 2015.
The 22 year-old is said to have asked for some days off work and went to Cape Town where he is said to have gone alone.
It is alleged that the deceased was found 30 metres downhilly the rescue team after slipping due to snow.
“The deceased came to Botswana fresh from university and we expected to learn a lot from him.
“He was the in the same age bracket as the judo learners and it was easy for them to grasp from him. They had bonded and he was their friend. His death has left them devastated.
“Even us as coaches, we were learning a lot from Itsubo because judo is still a new sport in our country.
“He gave us a lot of techniques, but now we are in shock,” said Kgosipula.
He said the deceased was at the helm of the national team that won five medals at the Gaborone 2014 Africa Youth Games and that he went with the team to the Africa Senior Championships in Tunisia.
He added that the Japanese instructor went with the team to the Nanjing Youth Olympics and that he was part of technical team that prepared the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Apart from coaching the national team, Itsubo was coaching primary school students in government schools.
He was running the Judo development programmes at primary schools such as Philip Moshotle, Lesedi, SSKB, Botsalano and Masa.
Kgosipula explained that Itsubo was to be buried this coming weekend in Japan, but the funeral has been postponed due to police investigations that are still ongoing in South Africa.
He said the intention is to send two representatives from the federation.