Wayne OTTO has won nine (9) European championships and twenty (20) National Cups throughout his career as a karateka. He is a former England National Coach, who organizes many training courses and seminars all over the world. During his stay in Libreville, the high-level athlete was interviewed by the editorial staff of Gabon 24, a bilingual 24-hour news channel. He explained in a few words the reasons for his presence, as well as the objectives expected by the Gabonese Karate Federation.
Gabon 24 : Who is Wayne OTTO?
Wayne OTTO : I am a karate coach, a sport I have been practicing for over 40 years. During my professional career, I have won nine world championships and I hold the Guinness World Records. I was the coach of the English karate team. In 2012, I became the head coach of the Norwegian Karate Federation.
Gabon 24 : What is the aim of your presence in Gabon?
Wayne OTTO : There are several reasons for which I came, including raising the level of competitiveness of the athletes, but also giving something extra to the Gabonese karate Federation through my expertise. I also want to help them realise their own ambitions, because the fact that I am here shows that they have some and that they wish their karate to be more than just a participation. They also have a vision to really develop the careers of their athletes.
Gabon 24 : How do you find the Gabonese karate landscape?
Wayne OTTO : There is a lot of potential here. I’ve worked with these athletes in 6 or 7 sessions over the last two days and I’ve been very impressed by some of them. It is important to underline that, if I train them for a year in Europe, they will be able to compete with the best in the world. Therefore, I think that what they are missing is the possibility to be really trained by people like myself, to travel in Europe, to find competitions, in order to gain a valuable experience. Furthermore, I try to help the coaches to acquire knowledge that will allow them to prepare their athletes. I think that was one of the main things I really wanted to do in Gabon.
Gabon 24 : Among the karateka you have worked with so far, which ones stand out?
Wayne OTTO : There are about 3 or 4 of them who have the foundation of something that you can definitely work with. I don’t remember their names completely, but certainly, Nicolas and David Nicolas caught my attention. And as I said before, the thing that they are lacking is the opportunity, because they need to be trained under the right circumstances and develop over a period of time, then they would be able to compete at the international level. Right now, they have a good basis for this, for example, their physical ability to be able to move in different directions. Even though it is important to specify that they also lack experience, this is something that needs to be improved. They need to start doing more tournaments and training.
Gabon 24 : What challenges did you face during these training sessions with the Gabonese karateka?
Wayne OTTO : The biggest challenge obviously is the language, but fortunately, I have a good translator. I think that a little bit of information that I have given to the coaches and athletes has been very valuable to them. I want to be sure to leave something that they can take away in order to develop on their own.
Gabon 24 : What tips would you give to these karateka for their careers?
Wayne OTTO : The biggest information I gave them is how to structure an athlete plan, which has different stages. I think that was definitely the first step that needed to be done. Having an athlete with potential is important, but if you don’t plan for his future success, he won’t be very successful.
Gabon 24 : Which of Gabon’s famous karatekas have you met so far?
Wayne OTTO : I don’t really know any of Gabon’s karateka, because this is the first time I am in this country. I have met many nice people, among them Gilles Bertrand Ongondja Koumoue, President of the Gabonese Karate Federation.
Gabon 24 : A final word to conclude this interview?
Wayne OTTO : For me, it is a great honor to be able to come here, to share my knowledge with the Gabonese karate federation, athletes and coaches. I see it as a high achievement. I think it is my duty to help Africans to develop in the sport.
