MASERU — Botswana pipped Team Lesotho into second spot at the First Open Independence DanceSport Championship at AME Hall in Maseru.
The defeat ended a six-month winning run that stretched from June when Team Lesotho has been winning open championships in the southern Africa region.
On Saturday Team Lesotho found the going tough against the much improved Batswana.
“We had 40 couples but we found the going tough. This was our toughest competition,” Teboho Rakhomo, the public relations officer for Lesotho Dance Sport Association, told the Weekender.
“Lesotho came second with Moshe Lekeka and Ntsoaki Ntlaloe defeating the champions of the Magolide dancesport championships and Open Queen Masenate’s birthday championships, Pulumo Nchakha and Kholu Liphoto.”
Rakhomo said they had expected to walk over their opponents but Botswana proved difficult.
“They were just too strong,” he said.
“We only had seven couples at the toughest Grand Prix and with only two couples on five, Botswana proved their talent and ability in dance by winning,” Rakhomo said.
He said South Africa had couples competing at the closed sections.
“South Africa only competed in the development sections.”
Rakhomo added: “Although we lost, our strength and development is very visible based on the number of couples that participated in all the sections of the competition and the number of medals we scooped at different open dancesport championships,” Rakhomo said.
