MASERU — Golf has long been a sport that has received very little attention in Lesotho.
Last Sunday, the Lesotho Golf Association (LGA) elected a new executive board. The new board will serve until April 2011.
This Sunday the Sentebale Golf Classic will be held at the Maseru Golf Club.
Speaking to the Lesotho Times this week Masuhla Leteka, captain of Lesotho’s team, said this was only the start of an aggressive campaign.
The captain is in charge of the day-to-day running of the sport and youth development.
“We held our elections late. Our year ends in May but because of unavoidable circumstances we had to delay them,” Leteka said on Tuesday.
That gives the new board two years to implement their plans.
“The idea is to promote golf inside the country and remove the myth that golf is an expensive sport,” Leteka said.
“The biggest target is to remove obstacles and to engage youths. The youth are the group that we are concentrating on. We want to attract more players and more families. Golf is a forum for entertainment.”
However, the sport is facing a problem with funding for tournaments.
“We are looking at an aggressive strategy to get funding,” Leteka said.
“That is our main worry. Without funding there cannot be any tournaments and that is what we want the business community to understand. Through the participation of donors, we can hold more tournaments,” he said.
“We are a serious committee with an international feel and whoever doesn’t work will leave,” Leteka said.
“That (not working) is a problem we have had in the last few committees. Unfortunately there were people who were coming in because they wanted to boost their CVs.
“A board is a collective and we are here to follow the mandate of the association.”
The idea is to get more players to turn professional. The only professional golfer in the country is Motlalentoa Moloi.
“Moloi has done a fantastic job (and) he has to get the support that he needs. We want to use him to train young golfers. We have kids with a lot of potential,” Leteka said.
Moloi leaves on Sunday to play in the SAA Invitational tournament, which is part of the Sunshine Tour, at the Paarl Country Golf Club in Cape Town.
The tournament begins next Thursday.
Golf board:
President: Mosuoe Mapetla
Vice-president: Matsoso Moteane
Captain: Masuhla Leteka
Vice-captain: Kolo Libetso
Secretary: George Adoko
Vice Secretary: ‘Malitsitso Nkuebe
Treasurer: Thabang Khabo
Members: Morathane Monyamane, Motlatsi Mile, Benjamin Johnson
