News

The University of Botswana (UB) Judo Club has once again showcased its growing strength in regional martial arts, earning a gold and a silver medal at the 2025 South African Open Judo Championships, held at the University of Pretoria, South Africa recently.

The UB team, comprising 10 student athletes - seven (7) men and three (3) women - competed fiercely in the prestigious tournament which drew top-tier judo talent from across southern Africa including Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.

Thebe Lesole clinched Gold in a fiercely contested men's 57kg category while Lefika Molome brought home silver in the same weight class. Other team members also put up commendable performances across various male and female divisions including in the 60kg, 66kg, 73kg, -81kg, and +78kg categories. Unfortunately, Ericson Motseonageng was unable to compete due to injury.

The team managed to complete more than 87 percent of its training programme prior to departure. The preparation focused mainly on psychological readiness in addition to technical and physical conditioning. According to Coach Gilberto Portuondo, only two (2) of the seven (7) competing students had prior experience at an event of this level.

“While the medal tally is numerically lower than last year’s, the quality of the results has improved significantly, with a gold and silver indicating an upward trajectory in performance,” noted Coach Portuondo. “Many of our athletes were first timers at a tournament of this level, yet their discipline, motivation and resilience were key to our success.”

The team views the Pretoria championship as a crucial milestone in its competitive calendar, serving as preparation for the final tournament of the year which UB is scheduled to host in December.

Coach Portuondo also acknowledged the indispensable support from the Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation. “Without their assistance, these achievements would not have been possible,” he said.

Head of Delegation, Botshelo Taolo, expressed optimism about the team’s future, citing the strong performance and positive attitude of the younger athletes. “We are confident that with continued support and exposure to more regional competitions, the UB Judo Club will keep raising the bar,” she said.

The club now looks ahead with renewed confidence, eyeing greater success on home ground in the upcoming December tournament.