Leemisa Thuseho
Lesotho Volleyball Association (LVA) president, Lehlohonolo Ncheke, has remained positive despite the disappointing results of the national team at the ongoing Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship.
Team Lesotho lost all their five matches at the tournament which kicked off on 14 August in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and ends tomorrow.
Twelve teams were competing in the tournament and divided into two groups of six each.
Lesotho were in Group B alongside, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burkina Faso but lost all the five matches by identical 3-0 margins.
But despite the disappointing performance, Ncheke, told the Lesotho Times he was still proud of the players and could foresee a bright future for the team.
Ncheke blamed the poor results on the team’s lack of experience at that level of the game as this was Lesotho’s maiden appearance at the championship.
His optimism, he added, was based on the team’s good results at junior international level. Ncheke also highlighted the average age of the players, which he said was 20 years.
“Most of the players were developed from a very young age and had been doing well in international events at junior level, so it was high time they were tested at senior level,” he said.
The players in question included the likes of Ntšontšo Koloko, Relebohile Ndaga, and Relebohile Phamotse, who were part of the team that won a gold medal at the African Union Sports Council Region 5 (AUSC) Games held in Maseru in December 2021
The same players were also part of Team Lesotho that won a silver medal in last year’s edition of the same regional games held in Malawi.
“We are in the process of building a team for the future and I think we are on the right track. Our target is to reach a level where we will
challenge for the World Championships and Olympics,” he said.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy tournament for us; it was a learning curve and I think there is a lot we have learnt from it. We are not angry in any way with the results. As far as I am concerned, those players got the much-needed international exposure. Basotho shouldn’t be disappointed. They must stay positive as this was just a start.
“I am proud of the players, and we are hoping to keep this team going forward and keep it active. However, the doors are still open for other new players to be called into the team based on their respective performances.”
Ncheke further said it was worth participating in the championships as this will see the team start to be awarded International Volleyball Federation ranking points. A good ranking will result in Lesotho qualifying for some development programmes and funding offered by the federation.
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