Leemisa Thuseho
LESOTHO has been given until the end of this month to decide whether or not to postpone the 2022 edition of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) African Youth Games.
The games are expected to be held in Maseru in 2020 from 25 February to 6 March 2022 but are now hanging in the balance on the back of the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
The latest developments come following an ANOCA executive committee’s extraordinary meeting last week.
Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) president ‘Mathlohang Moiloa-Ramoqopo represented at the meeting. Moiloa-Ramoqopo is also the second vice president of ANOCA.
Lesotho was expected to present a report on the status of its preparations in terms of infrastructure, funding strategy and practical organisation of the games.
The report revealed that the fight against Covid-19 has negatively affected the preparations. It also noted that the coming in of a new government in Lesotho had slowed down the procedures in preparing for the games.
After the concerns were raised, Lesotho was is given until to decide whether the games should stay as planned or be postponed.
According to a press statement released by ANOCA, the president of NOC Morocco, Kamal Lahlou proposed that the games be postponed to either 2023 or 2025.
However, Fardouza Moussa Egueh, an executive committee member, cautioned that it was crucial to get all the answers before considering a possible postponement or cancellation. She added was necessary to communicate directly with the Lesotho government.
LNOC chief executive officer ‘Mathato Makhorole told the Lesotho Times this week that they were yet to meet the new government through the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sport and Recreation.
“We will know the way forward only after meeting the government and get their side of the story regarding the games.
“We already had plans and the commitment of the previous government but now that there is a new regime, we must go back and get their plans,” Makhorole said.
This will be the fourth edition of the games. The first edition was held in Rabat, Morocco in 2010. Botswana held the second edition of the quadrennial games in 2014 before Algeria hosted it in 2018.
Lesotho was confirmed the host of the 2022 games during ANOCA’s extraordinary general assembly held prior to the African Youth Games in Algeria in 2018.
The 2022 edition would be Lesotho’s first time to host the games.
