Leemisa Thuseho
ATHLETICS coach, Samuel Khalane, is confident that his athletes will deliver improved performances this year and secure qualification for major international competitions.
Among the athletes he coaches are sprint sensation Mamakoli Senauane and the talented female sprinter and middle-distance runner Manqabang Tsibela.
The duo was recently announced as recipients of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Solidarity Athletes Scholarship Programme, which supports athletes on their path to qualifying for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California.
Since November last year, both athletes have been training at the Northwest University High Performance Institute of Sports in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Khalane said they will spend most of their time there.
“We will be based in Potchefstroom for most of our time due to the good facilities here,” Khalane told the Lesotho Times.
“We have partnered with Potchefstroom Track Club to work together towards 2028.”
Among their targets this season is contributing to Lesotho’s 4×4 mixed relay team qualification for the World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, in May 2026.
“We also have the African Championships in May (Ghana), where we aim to perform well and progress to the finals… then prepare for some races in Europe, which will lead us to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in August,” he said.
Khalane added that their main focus is improving his athletes’ times across various distances.
“Our main goal is to see our times improve in these major competitions this year, and we are working hard towards that.”
While Senauane has been performing consistently in recent years, Khalane acknowledged that Tsibela has had an uneven career. Between 2018 and 2019, the now 22-year-old was widely regarded as Lesotho’s next big athletics star, but her performance dropped as she grew older. Khalane is confident, however, that she is regaining her form.
“First, we need to understand what caused her performance to drop despite her talent. Then we fix that and work with her until she realises her potential.
“We know it will take time to get back to her best, but with her talent and how quickly her body adapts to training, I have a strong feeling that everything will come together on the journey to the Olympic Games… all I can say now is that Tsibela is talented. I am not in a hurry; I am taking my time to develop them mentally and physically, so they are ready to face the world.”
Khalane also said the IOC scholarships have been a huge help in easing financial pressures.
“The scholarship has eased stress so much. Everything we need is here, so we do not have any excuse at the moment.”
