03 July 2025
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Story Vuyelwa Mbebe and Aimee Barlow
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Photo Supplied
Karabo Khanye at the National Karate Awards Ceremony, where he received his South African national colours.
In a defining moment for both his personal career and the sporting legacy of the University of the Free State (UFS), karate champion Karabo Khanye has been awarded South African national colours. The honour was conferred at the National Karate Awards Ceremony on 21 June in Durban in recognition of his outstanding achievements on the international stage.
The awarding of national colours is one of the highest accolades in South African sport, symbolising excellence, dedication, and the ability to represent the country with distinction. For Khanye, this moment is the culmination of years of hard work and discipline. His selection followed a remarkable showing at the
Commonwealth Karate Championships, where Khanye competed against some of the world’s top athletes. Representing
Karate South Africa, he walked away with two silver medals.
“I feel privileged that I was chosen for the Commonwealth team,” Khanye said. “Being able to bring home two silver medals just makes it that much better.”
The awards ceremony in Durban was not merely a formality but a moment of personal significance for the UFS athlete. Receiving his national colours served as both validation and motivation for the sacrifices he’d made to pursue excellence in his chosen sport.
“It shows that the hard work I put in was not for nothing,” he said. “I am grateful to receive my national colours.”
With this latest honour under his belt, Khanye went on to compete at the
University Sport South Africa (USSA) Karate Championships, held from 26 to 27 June in Pietermaritzburg. He successfully defended his title in the U60kg elite category, which he’d claimed at last year’s tournament.
Khanye’s journey has been a source of pride for the UFS KovsieSport community. His success adds to the university’s growing reputation for producing high-performance athletes across various sporting codes. UFS celebrates Khanye’s achievements and looks forward to what promises to be an even more inspiring and successful future for this remarkable athlete.