Leemisa Thuseho
THE Lesotho trio of ‘Malitsietsi Zwakala, Khotso Mahloko and Thabiso Moea is among 30 people who are an online Certified Leadership Course organised by the African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5.
AUSC is collaborating with the Association for International Sports for all (TAFISA) for the programme.
The course started on 15 July and will run up to the 11 September 2020.
Zwakala is the Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission (LSRC) development officer while Mahloko and Moea are the Lepereng Olympafrica Centre and Olympic Young Ambassador program coordinators respectively.
All the 30 participants are drawn from eight of the 10 Region 5 countries while Angola and Mozambique are not represented.
This is the first time the course is being held online due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The participants are having two-hour classes twice weekly on Wednesday and Saturday.
They will be taken through various topics that include sports for all and physical activity, event management, marketing and public relations, leadership and safe sports, community club formation inclusive sport managing finances as well as communication and clean sport for all.
One of the facilitators Molehoheng Mokobocho, told the Lesotho Times that the course aims at strengthening skills and competence in planning and organising physical activities and sport for all within communities.
“TAFISA and AUSC are doing this to train people who will promote physical activities so that ultimately we have healthy citizens,” Mokochobo said.
“Here we are not talking about competitive sporting activities but physical activities like aerobics and community fun walks. It is important to keep our bodies healthy because it will reduce the risk of certain diseases.”
Previously, participants were required to pay for the course but in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Region 5 has exempted them from paying the fees.
Mahloko said the course would equip participants with the skills to promote sports for all.
“This is going to help us encourage more people to engage in sports,” Mahloko said.
Mahloko is hopeful that when more people practice sports, it would be easier for parents to encourage their children to participate in sports.
“Girls seem to be less active in sport and physical activity, thus this will help us come up with means of attracting them into sports,” Mahloko said.
