Re-elected Bantu president John Leuta
Mikia Kalati
PREMIER league chairman, John Leuta, is seeking to retain his post during the Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) elections to be held next Tuesday at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena.
The Bantu president assumed the chairmanship last year to replace Lioli boss Lebohang Thotanyana who had been appointed Minister of Mining.
Leuta told the Lesotho Times this week the PLMC had asked him to contest in the election to ensure continuity in the implementation of the body’s reform roadmap.
“I have been mandated to stand for the elections by the committee to ensure we continue implementing what has been laid down in our roadmap,” Leuta said.
“To be honest, it has not been an easy road since I took up the reins last year, but I think we have made a lot of progress.
“The biggest challenge we face is that our football is in a transition phase, and we are working towards professionalising our league which is a mammoth task.”
The premier league boss said he hoped all the current PLMC members would retain their positions to finish the task at hand.
“In my ideal scenario, all the PLMC members would retain their positions for them to continue and finish what they started,” said Leuta.
“We recently toured Botswana to assess how their league continues to progress and we learnt a lot. We have since made recommendations to the Lesotho Football Association on the changes we feel need to be made to take our league to another level.”
He said the committee engaged the premier league’s sponsors to lobby for more investment.
“We have developed a good relationship with sponsors and are in the middle of negotiations for increasing sponsorship in all our competitions,” the premier league boss said.
“That’s why I feel it would be ideal if the current committee were to be given a chance to finish what they started. Most of the sponsors are happy the presentations we made to them in recent months.”
He added: “I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of sponsorship. We will not rest until our league has improved and sponsorships grows.”
During the elections, the PLMC is also expected to fill the vice-chairperson position left by Leuta when he took over from Thotanyana.
The committee currently consists of secretary, Sefako Seema, who is deputised by Lehlohonolo Matlosa, public relations officer Mosito Lekholoa and committee member Ramafahla Thamae.
The league body elects a new committee after every two years.
