Sensei George Tshikare has written his name in the annals of local karate as the first World Karate Federation (WKF) accredited coach.
Tshikare, the coach of the Botswana Karate junior national team, achieved the feat after passing a WKF coaching course, becoming the only Motswana to achieve such.
By becoming a WKF accredited coach, Tshikare is now the only local with credentials to coach anywhere in the world.
The coach’s achievements have come as some good news for the Botswana Karate Association (BOKA), who are short of accredited coaches.
Speaking in an interview, BOKA’s Public Relations Officer, Jerry Ditlhong, said the junior national team coach’s achievements will help develop the sport in the country.
“As BOKA, our intention and priority is to grow the sport of Karate in the country. To do this, we need qualified and accredited coaches and this is a step in the right direction,” the BOKA PRO explained.
“As BOKA, we have our own 4 year strategy, under which one of our aims is to produce at least two to three medals during international games in 2016. To achieve this, we will need qualified officials and as an association, we are determined to ensure that our local officials achieve the much needed accreditation,” he said.
Meanwhile, two other officials from BOKA have qualified as WKF referees. As with Tshikare, the two Senseis, Union Kgafela and Jonathan Phirie who qualified during a WKF course which was conducted in Guadalajara, Spain, became the first Batswana to achieve WKF refereeing accreditation. According to Ditlhong, while Botswana has had referees qualified to officiate locally and continentally, the country have never had WKF qualified officials. While some officials have previously been sent to WKF courses, none had managed to pass.
The BOKA PRO has credited the recent success of the officials on the leg work done by BOKA to prepare them for the courses.
“The achievements are attributed to the bringing of Sensei Javier Escalante, WKF referees commission Secretary General in Botswana in June 2013, Escalante conducted a course that prepared our official for certification,” Ditlhong explained.
The BOKA PRO said Tshikare’s success can be attributed to BOKA’s hosting of the renowned Spanish International karate coach, Sensei Oliver Seba, in July 2013.
He said the hosting of both Sensei Escalante and Sensei Seba was a deliberate move by BOKA to ensure that the officials get necessary preparations before they went on their courses.
