Mikia Kalati
LERATO Sechele, Mosito Lehata and Tšepang Sello will be among a star-studded line-up of continental athletes at the African Senior Championship in Nigeria scheduled for Nigeria from 1 to 5 August 2018.
The Nigeria tour comes after another successful tour for Sechele who won a triple-jump competition at the Mauritius International Meeting and set a new of 12.90 for the competition in the process. Her personal best is 13.57 which she set at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia in April this year.
Sechele participated in the Mauritius competition as part of her preparations for the African Senior Championship while Lehata is training in Italy and Sello in Germany. She was among Lesotho best performers at the Commonwealth Games this year and was unfortunate to miss out on a medal when she came fourth.
Lehata on the other hand was injured in the semi-finals of the 100m and is making his way to full fitness.
Sello also struggled to make a mark at the Commonwealth Games in the 800m.
The Lesotho Amateur Athletics Association (LAAA) public relations officer Sejaname Maphathe said the runners have clocked times that met the qualifying standards for continental competition.
“Sechele was in Mauritius and won her category in triple jump where she also set a record for that meeting,” Maphathe said.
“Lehata was in Italy for a training camp and took part in some competitions there to work his way back to full fitness. It is all part of their preparations for the competition in Nigeria because Sello is also undergoing training in Germany.”
Maphathe said the trio will be joined by Bad Boy Toka although he is struggling to get competitions to get himself in shape before the trip to Nigeria.
“All the athletes met the qualifying standards of the competition in the smaller events that they took place in earlier in the year.
“There is also Toka but we are at the moment he is struggling to find competitions for which he can use as preparation just like the other athletes.”
Maphathe said the Nigeria competitions would also be used to select a team that will compete at the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) Continental Cup scheduled for 8 and 9 September 2018 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The Continental Cup is held every four years and is the only competition where athletes represent their respective continents instead of their individual countries.
“All the continents will participate in the Continental Cup. The last local athlete to take part in the competition was Selloane Tšoaeli. All athletes who will get position come in position first and second at the African Senior Championships will automatically qualify for the Continental Cup,” he said.
LAAA president Makhaol Serake also left the country on Sunday to attend continental athletics conference held in Nigeria.
