First phase of 'The Dojo' completed

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent | Friday December 3, 2010 00:00

 

So far, The Dojo - which is situated on the eastern end of the National Stadium - has cost P700 000, which was provided by the Japanese Embassy. The official opening of the facility will be in January when the Japanese Embassy will have installed a sensei (karate instructor) through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Vice President of the Botswana Karate Association (BOKA), David Mathe, says the building was completed in October, a month after its September deadline.

Altogether The Dojo will be built in four phases before it is fully operational. The first phase included construction of a training hall and ablution blocks.

Karatekas will use The Dojo to sharpen their skills in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics. However, the facility will be used for other indoor sports as well.

Mathe says because The Dojo is relatively small, BOKA will continue to use other venues for high profile tournaments.  When completed, the facility will accommodate only two competition rings while four rings are usually needed for big tournaments.

The Japanese Embassy in Gaborone provided funding for the first phase of The Dojo through the Grand Aid for Cultural Grassroots Projects Scheme (GACGP). 

Mathe says BOKA is in need of financial support to complete the project and that although there is nothing concrete yet, some companies have shown an interest to that end.

The whole project will cost approximately P10 million. 

The agreement between BOKA and the Japanese Embassy is that the structure will remain as it is for a year before BOKA may make any extensions.

The association says it will consider renting out the hall to other indoor sport codes in order to raise funds.  Dojos are also regarded as spiritual recesses by students of the martial arts.