Combative Tshikare pushes karate dream
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday September 2, 2016 14:39
“Just like any boy growing up in the village, the sports I was involved in were football and athletics.
I tried my best in these two but I failed dismally. I could not fit in despite trying my best,” he says. Tshikare’s first interaction with karate was in 1989, but that was short-lived due the absence of an instructor.
After his secondary education, Tshikare joined the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) as a private in 1991. It was at the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks that the young Tshikare joined a karate club.
He was exposed to many instructors, who included Sensei Soccer Moruakgomo, with his first style being Shuko-kai. He said as a young white belt, he was given a chance to compete in the Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) championship which he won the same year.
“I received my first grading to brown belt from Moruakgomo in 1991. The following year I changed style to Kofukan. I kept working hard until 1999 when I was graded to first Dan black belt. I continued with hard work going up the ranks until this year when I was graded to fifth Dan black belt,” he said. Tshikare has been at the helm of junior national teams from 2006 until 2015. The biggest moment for the coach was when his team won gold and silver at the 2014 Africa Youth Games in Gaborone. Tshikare was elevated to fifth dan by Shoto-Ryu Karate-Do Kofukan International Organisation, Shihan Keiji Tomiyama.
Tshikare says his inspiration comes from Sensei Million Masumbika who is a father figure and teacher to him. He said the grading was supposed to take place in 2015, but that was impossible due to national team coaching duties.
Tshikare has been nominated as coach of the year during the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) awards on three occasions (2014, 2015 and 2016). He walked away with the award in 2014.
As a way of contributing further to the sport, Tshikare has opened a karate academy in Gaborone.
The academy targets children from four to 16 years. Tshikare is a World Karate Federation (WKF) certified kumite coach after attaining the qualification in Spain in 2013.
“My target was to have 20 students by end of the year but at the moment we have more than 28. Elders are also allowed to take up lessons with us,” said Tshikare. He was former BDF commander, Matshwenyego Fisher’s personal trainer.
FACT FILE:
Full names: George Tshikare
Date of birth: February 10, 1973
Sport: Karate
Style: Kofukan
Favourite club(s): Arsenal and Kaizer Chiefs
Favourite dish: Chinese food