Girl power!

Source : KUTLWANO

Author : Lucretia Chima

Location : GABORONE

Event : Sports feature

If you met Keamogetse Kenosi  schoolmates a decade ago they would have laughed you to scorn for suggesting anything good could come out of the itchy fisted lass. Itchy fisted she might have been but it was not out of choice. 

She was pushed too far and she had to respond somehow. You may call it reverse “bullying” against those who always tormented her for being different. 

Kea is last of five children – four girls and a boy. She grew up close to her brother Othusitse, the third born. She lost her dad at the age of six. She suspects her closeness to her brother made her become friends with his friends most of whom are boys. As a result she played boy games and pranks. She would arm wrestle and kick-box. 

It was no wonder that as a little girl at Monarch primary school she excelled in most athletics – why, she would have honed her skills while playing with Adam`s clan who have bigger stamina. 

When in standard seven she switched from the track to netball. She continued to play the sport at Gold Mine Junior Secondary School. She kept her company of boyfriends so much that other girls started gossiping about her. 

“Those gossips irked me. I would threaten them in an attempt to stop them. If the person persisted I would give them a slap or two,” she says with a naughty smile. However, thanks to a teacher who saw beyond the bossy childhood attitude of Kea, she is today nationally celebrated for those itchy fists of hers! 

Today she stands proud as one of the seven gold medalists who raised our flag high during the African Youth Games. The feat adds to her list of achievements which includes 2013 female boxing Champion, Best of the Best and BISA gold medals.

The one or two slaps that saw her becoming a regular face at the staffroom, gave one of the teachers Gilbert Mambo an idea. “Some female students who could not stand my nature suggested to the teacher to rope me in the boxing club and having seen me in and out of the staffroom he didn`t think it a bad idea. I did not want to hear anything about boxing, I told the teacher when he approached me.” 

But he was determined and instructed me to bring my training clothes. When she failed to bring her clothes the coach forced her to train in her school uniform. She had no choice but to bring her training clothes. She was not keen on joining boxing as she was the most valuable player in the netball team, playing in the Goal Defense position. 

“I played well because of my strength. My absence in any game created a loophole. Players knew me and my defending skills,” she says, that naughty smile again. 

Against her will she eventually exchanged her netball gear for boxing gloves.  Then, a couple of stances and jumping around in the boxing ring – not really ring, the boxing bug bit her. She became a terror to other girls and soon they refused to spar with her, and Coach Mambo partnered with her.

 “We started punching, and I did my usual, releasing killer punches. I think he felt them and once he forgot he was sparring with a girl and gave me a straight punch that sent me crashing to the floor. When I recovered myself I removed the gloves and went to cry a bit, I washed my face and decided that I did not want boxing anymore,” she says, that smile again. 

But the coach`s persuasion saw her continuing with the sport she is now best known for. After just three weeks into the school boxing club she made part of the team that competed in BISA games and scooped a gold medal. She went on to compete in the Keone Mooka Mageu where she won a silver medal after losing to Tshephang Moilwa. 

Knowing how addictive sport is, her encounter with Tshephang made her hone her skills to later dominate most of her interclub fights. Her memorable day was when she humbled Tshephang by 29-9 during an interclub encounter. 

“I was fit and fresh from national team camp and I was too much for her,” she notes, a twinkle in her eye. 

Kea has only affection for her mother, who she says is her role model. Although her mother is unemployed she always supports her financially whenever she goes for boxing competitions. Kea also credits her stepfather former Ecco football team player France Motlhatlhedi for his encouragement. 

The two have a healthy relationship and Motlhatlhedi being involved in social football club has been her backbone. Kea`s dream is to join the army, which she believes will offer her an opportunity to continue with boxing. 

The pugilist`s desire is to see more women joining boxing. 

“Yes it is a contact sport but we don`t kill one another …instead we care for each other. That is why we are paired according to weight. I have no scar from boxing,” she says. ENDS