To honour President Duma Boko following his visit to Hungary last year where he received an honorary black belt in judo, Botswana Judo Federation (BJF) in partnership with the University of Botswana Judo Club will host the Presidential Open Judo Championship at the University of Botswana Indoor Sports Arena in Gaborone on Saturday (tomorrow).
Boko was awarded an honorary Judo Black Belt by the International Judo Federation (IJF) in June 2025. The honour was presented during the 2025 World Judo Championships in Budapest, Hungary, recognizing his contributions to the development and promotion of the sport.
The championship has attracted a total of eight judo clubs which include Letlhakane Judo Centre, Gaborone Judo Centre, Phillip Moshotle Judo Centre, Morula Judo Centre, Botsalano Judo Centre, SSI RBBH Judo Centre, Mmopane RBBH Judo Centre and University of Botswana Judo Club.
The competition will be contested across the different age categories and these are young athletes (6–12 years), pre-cadets, (13–14 years), cadets (15–17 years), juniors (18–20 years), seniors (21–29 years), and veterans (30 years and above).
In an interview, BJF Marketing Director, Eunice Motswaiso said that the main objective of the championship is to honour President Duma Boko, following his recent visit to Hungary for the IJF Congress that was held on June 11, 2025, at the Varkert Bazar where he received an honorary black belt in judo.
She said that the championship provides the President with an opportunity to appreciate the growth and development of the sport locally, particularly the progress being made by athletes and clubs across the country.
“From a sporting perspective, the competition serves as a national ranking event and is also one of the qualifying competitions for the upcoming AUSC Games, which will be held in Maputo in December,” she said.
She added that this makes the tournament highly important for athletes seeking selection and competitive exposure at regional level.
According to Motswaiso, the athletes who place in their respective categories will be awarded medals in recognition of their performance at the championship.
Meanwhile, Motswaiso has highlighted that judo in Botswana has been developing quite well over the years. She stated that judo is still a growing sport in Botswana but there is definitely visible progress, especially at grassroots level.
“We are seeing more young people getting involved, more clubs becoming active, and more local competitions being organised, which shows that interest in the sport is increasing,” she said.
She has however noted that when it comes to gender, the sport is still largely male-dominated, but there’s a noticeable increase in female participation especially at grassroots level. Motswaiso added that this growth is slower at the junior and senior levels, but overall more girls and women are starting to get involved, which is a positive sign.
Motswaiso expressed that with support from the International Judo Federation, more Botswana Judo Federation athletes are now competing internationally in events like the Cadet and Junior World Championships, and IJF World Tour competitions. She added that with the federation’s funding, we are also able to send athletes to continental-level tournaments, pointing that this international exposure is really helping to raise the standard of judo back home.
“Overall, the sport is on an upward path with growing interest, better gender balance at the grassroots, and more international participation, which sets a strong foundation for the future of judo in Botswana,” she said.
