Delta Karate Academy will host its inaugural competition dubbed Delta Open Karate Championship, a first of its magnitude in the North West region.
The competition which is expected to attract around 250 Karatekas from all over Botswana including areas such as Jwaneng, Francistown, Orapa, Selibe Phikwe and Lobatse will be held on the 3rd June 2023 at Maun Senior Secondary School.
It is open to athletes aged 5-7 years, under 10, under 12 and elite athletes from under 10-18 years and those above. The podium finishers will walk away with certificates, medals and some prize money.
Delta Karate Academy Instructor Calvin Thuthuka told Times Sport that the main objective of the competition is to bring karate to North West District through community outreach as the sport is not common in the area. He stated that they want to grow the sport in the district by giving local athletes an opportunity to participate in different national and international competitions.
Thuthuka said through the competition local athletes will have an opportunity to learn different techniques from other athletes from different clubs and use them to grow and sharpen their techniques. “The tournament will pave way for young athletes to develop their self-confidence and motivate them so that they can become more focused, determined and work hard,” he noted.
He revealed that some of the recognisable athletes expected to take part in the competition include, Louis Madibela the former Zone 6 Champion from SSKB Karate Club, the indisputable Chepete Twins from Kagiso Karate Academy and Lemogang Koolopile who is the former Africa bronze medallist and Zone 6 Champion.
Thuthuka added that a total of 15 athletes from their club will also participate in different categories and are working hard to prepare for the event. He has confidently assured that his expectation is that most of their athletes will make it to the podium.
“We anticipate hosting a very big event, we expect the community to come in large numbers to support the competition because that would also motivate both athletes, coaches and organisers to maintain their goals,” he said.
According to him, for them to host a successful tournament they have to raise an amount of P38 000 as such they are currently appealing for sponsorships and business community to support them in their endeavour to grow the sport in the region.
