Dojo to accelerate Judo in Botswana
Botswana Judokas can look forward to improving their skills and hopefully participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, thanks to the construction of a first-ever Judo dojo, which commenced this week in Gaborone with a ground breaking ceremony.
Youth, Sport and Culture Minister Thapelo Olopeng joined the Ambassador of Japan to Botswana Masahiro Onishi to officiate the ceremony on Tuesday. Speaking during the occasion Ambassador Onishi said he hopes when the dojo is complete it will help improve the skills of local Judokas so they can achieve “remarkable results” during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
“This will be possible through the technical assistance of both the Japanese and local coaches,” he said. The Dojo construction follows the signing of a grant contract between the two countries amounting to P971 695 (87, 750 US$). Onishi said a volunteer senior Judo instructor has already been dispatched to Botswana to coach local Judokas. “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the efforts of the Botswana Judo Federation (BJF) and for the cooperation of all those concerned who have made the start of this project a reality” said Onishi on Tuesday.
Minister Olopeng applauded Botswana Judo federation as one of the national sport associations that have shown great potential for growth and contributed towards the building of youth through sports. “The federation (BJF) contributed one silver and bronze medal during the 2nd African Youth Games in 2014,” he said.
Furthermore, they went on to deliver one gold medal, 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals at the African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under 20 Games. The judo team also managed position 5 and 7 at the All African Games in September 2015. Recently in April 2016 at Commonwealth Judo championships they got 2 gold medals, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Ambassador revealed that while 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the independence of Botswana it is also the year that “we celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Botswana and Japan.”