BASHA MOTLHANE STEPS OFF THE RING

BY:Kabelo Seleka

GABORONE:22 Apr 2018, 12:45 On April 14,Basha Hendrick Motlhane removed his gloves one last time ending near 8 year old short boxing career with over 100 bouts earning him 70% of wins in the process. 

Motlhane,24,has began his amateur trading in 2010 and tasted his first real feel of a punch in 2011 in a youth tournament.

In 2012 at the age of 17 he obtained a gold from Botswana Integrated Sports Association(BISA) boxing nationals.

His coach and mentor Othusitse Mogatsakgotla seeing the prospect in him advised Motlhane to fight with the elites through his club Kgalagadi North in the  BOBA national championship where he lost in the preliminaries.

After completion of Botswana General Certificate School Examination(BGCSE) in 2012 Motlhane moved from the village and 2012 and joined Prisons Boxing Club from his boyhood club Kgalagadi North.

In 2013 Motlhane fought in the best of the best tournament and got silver and bronze for the championship.

2014 Motlhane grabbed silver after losing to Kabelo Bagwasi in the 60kg finals of the national championship.

2015 was one of the worst of his career as he lost in the best of the best tourney getting only a bronze.

Although the year 2016 he was on and off  from the hospital bed, he managed to take up on his neck a bronze medal in the championship contributing to his team Prisons Boxing`s victory of the championship.

As a result of championing the championship Prisons Boxing got invited to do the ring dancing at South Africa for a tournament where he managed to bag Gold.

For 2017 championship he got eliminated early in the tournament resulting in no medal honors.

Motlhane was unlucky not to be called to don the colors of his nation as he was always the second best to the now famously known of the young Bagwasi brothers “THE TKO MAN” Kabelo Small.

However he was used as a reserve boxer for the national team.

In an exclusive interview with Sportsnation Motlhane said he regarded Bagwasi as his close rival,but since turning pro he was left with Kefentse “Doritos” Molalapata whom he has lost to in all the bouts.

He also added that most of their bouts were on splits decisions.

“Tota mothakayo keene ke tshamekileng leene difeisi,keene nne re itana,ahh babangwe ba nne ele one sided hela”he elaborated.
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Motlhane in his amateur career he has appeared in all BOBA tournaments since 2013 to 2016.

He has atleast won 1 medal  every year since his first bout in 2011.He has accumulated a wealth of more than 10 medals  with an experience of over 100 bouts  with only just about 30 loses.

He has however guaranteed that he is not lost in boxing as there might be a comeback as a professional boxer.

He is also in the plans of opening an enterprise.

“Boxing is a difficult sport,it all needs determination,commitment and dedication and once u started  never give up on the goal” concluded Basha Motlhane