Groth grabs bronze in Canada
Mosah Mokganedi | Friday October 18, 2013 16:11
In Canada, the 16-year old Maruapula School student won bronze in kumite and kata. Groth together with Moses Jones represented Botswana at the tournament. Jones was knocked out in the group stages. Groth who arrived in the country on Wednesday said competition was tough although he enjoyed himself. He said it was good preparation for the World Karate Championships, which start in Spain on November 7.
Groth was participating in the competition for the third time after he won gold in his debut and two silver medals at the subsequent tournament. He said winning bronze this time does not mean that his performance is declining. 'The competition is now attracting many athletes and becoming stiffer,' he told Mmegi Sport. Groth lost his grandmother during the competition but he was not deterred. He said one of the lessons he picked from the competition was that continuous training is crucial.
His coach, Mpho Bakwadi concurred that competition was tough and that winning medals was no mean feat. He said it was intimidating that some countries sent more than 50 karatekas while Botswana had only two. He said that although Jones did not win a medal, he did well because he won his initial games convincingly.Groth is currently rated the second best karateka in Africa in the 16 to 17 year-old category.