Leemisa Thuseho
LESOTHO has failed to send representatives to this year’s African Boxing Championship currently underway in Cameroon due to financial challenges, the Lesotho Boxing Association (LeBA) has confirmed.
The 21st edition of the annual continental tournament, which got underway on Tuesday this week, is set to end on 6 August in Yaounde.
Lesotho had since selected and prepared a team which was ready to represent the nation at this prestigious event. However, that did not happen due to financial constraints.
LeBA public relations officer, Rethabile Mohale, who is also the team’s manager, told this publication that despite their preparations for the event, they had to cancel the trip at the 11th hour due to lack of funds.
“We are still here at home; we did not send a team to Cameroon and the major challenge was finances,” Mohale told the Lesotho Times on Monday this week.
“This is not good news to the boxers as they were eager to fly the national flag high at the tournament.”
According to Mohale, the team has now shifted focus to the 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers to be held in Dakar, Senegal, from 9 to 15 September 2023. The Olympics are set for 26 July to 11 August 2024 in Paris, France.
“This failure to make it to the African championships came as a heavy blow to the participants as they had been preparing hard for this event. We console ourselves in that the African championships were not the only international event we were preparing for. We still have Olympic Games qualifiers in Dakar,” Mohale said.
Speaking on the teams’ funding, Mohale said they mainly depend on the Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) and Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission (LSRC) for bankrolling such events.
“Both told us they were also facing financial problems, but promised to ensure they send the team to the Olympic qualifiers,”Mohale added.
As part of their preparations, Mohale said they had been taking the team to several competitions in South Africa.
The team that was set to represent Lesotho at the African championship in Cameroon comprised of Retšelisitsoe Kolobe, Monaheng Khebe, Arena Pakela, Mathealira Seholoholo and Fusi Seholoholo. The coaches were Meshark Letsoepa and Hopolang Mabele.
