After many months without national team action, Botswana’s senior national boxing team has performed beyond expectations, securing seven medals from the 2025 Zone IV Championships in Mozambique. Having sent eight boxers to the competition, the team’s spirited performance brought two gold medals, courtesy of Keobakeng Philip in the 60kg category and Kobamelo Molatlhegi in the 48kg weight division.
Punching Above Their Weight
The other medals came through Kutlwano Sekhutlo (63kg) and Gift Modise (57kg), who fell short in their final matches, settling for silver. Meanwhile, Ribbin Modise, Mmoloki Sekwaipe, and Letlhogonolo Makgaola secured bronze medals after failing to reach the finals. However, it was a tournament to forget for Dorcus Tlhabologo, who couldn’t compete due to an injury.
Of the seven medals, three came from the women’s division, highlighting the growth of women’s boxing in Botswana. The zonal tournament was attended by five countries: Botswana, Lesotho, eSwatini, Mozambique, and Seychelles.
In an interview with Voice Sport, Botswana Boxing Association spokesperson Gaone Motshwanaesi expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. “Of course, we are impressed with the development of boxers because most of them are new to the team, and they got the much-needed exposure and results. We had a long, successful camp, which started last December, so that gave coaches ample time to put the boxers in good condition ahead of the competition,” she said.
The performance placed Botswana in second position overall, behind Mozambique. This marks a slight improvement from the previous edition, where Botswana won six medals (one gold, two silver, and three bronze).
Looking Ahead
The triumph has come at an opportune time, with the ladies’ team duo of Gift Modise and Phekie Bele set to compete at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia, from 8th to 16th March. Though the world championships are a tough battleground, the expectation is that the ladies will draw motivation from the Maputo triumph and fight for glory.
This will also be another opportunity for local boxers to regain their form and face superior opponents after missing out on high-profile tournaments last year. In October 2024, the national team missed the Africa Elite Boxing Championships in the Democratic Republic of Congo, citing financial challenges.
