MASERU — The Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) wants to foster good governance within affiliate associations in a bid to bring the country success on the international arena.
The LNOC a fortnight ago held a good governance workshop which was also aimed at ending infighting within affiliate associations.
Only two of the LNOC’s 23 affiliate members were not represented at the workshop.
LNOC president ‘Matlohang Moiloa-Ramoqopo said only good administration could bring Lesotho success at the Olympic Games.
Lesotho has never won an Olympic medal since the country first participated in the four-yearly sporting extravaganza in 1971.
“The committee realised that there is need to strengthen leadership within sports if we want to have a good harvest during the Olympic Games,” Moiloa-Ramoqopo said.
The workshop facilitator, Robert Likhang, said the LNOC was tired of Lesotho’s poor performance during international games.
“We are tired of poor performance at the Olympics,” he said. “It’s a shame that Lesotho does not have an Olympic medal.”
The LNOC said “internal conflicts” had contributed to Lesotho’s poor performance at last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
LNOC vice-president Sam Mphaka said internal conflicts within member associations were detrimental to the progression of sport in the country.
He, however, did not elaborate on the “internal fights”.
“We realised that our member associations were going through long-term internal fights because of lack of knowledge,” Mphaka said.
Mphaka said the workshop was meant to educate member associations on good governance and resource management.
“The LNOC saw that there was a weakness within the sports fraternity that needed to be rooted out for us to bring home a medal from the 2012 Olympic Games in London,” he said.
Meanwhile, former LNOC treasurer Ntsíli Motsieloa said she did not seek re-election to the post this year because she wanted to concentrate on her studies.
“I did not lose the post. I chose not to contest because I wanted to focus on my studies,” Motsieloa said.
The LNOC held elections for its executive committee last month.
Motsieloa, president of the Lesotho Dancesport Association (LEDASA), said she had turned down nomination for the treasurer’s post.
“It was too heavy to carry out the duties of the LNOC alongside with my studies,” she said.
“LEDASA still wanted me to contest for the post but I declined.”
