Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Lesotho Boxing Association (LeBA) held its first preparatory boxing tournament for the national team on Saturday at Roma. The session was the first for the national team since it started training earlier this year.
The tournament dubbed the 2023 LeBA National Championship was held at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) and it also aimed to help the university’s Rovers boxing club ahead of the regional intervarsity games that are on the horizon.
The national team is made up of seven male boxers and four female boxers and they will represent Lesotho at the Zone 4 Championships in Mozambique on June 1.
The team has not been able to train well this year because the hall LeBA used at Setsoto Stadium has been turned into a storeroom. The hall however, is set to be available this week for the athletes. The equipment in the room is said to belong to the athletics association and they have been told to move it.
Speaking to thepost on Tuesday, the boxing association’s spokesperson, Rethabile Mohale, said they are not able to create their own calendar events because they are reliant on the subvention money that they get from the Lesotho Sport Recreation Commission (LSRC).
He said LeBA are looking for sponsors and have advised clubs to do the same. “It was a preparation for the NUL team for the intervarsity games but also for the national team.
This is the first tournament they are playing since they were selected. After the issues with the stadium, they wanted to stop, some relaxed when they got selected and weren’t training as hard,” he said.
“Our issue at the stadium has been worked out and we expect the hall to be available before the end of the week, we have told the athletes to train and even do it outside in the meantime,” he added.
It is unclear if the four members of the women’s team will travel to Mozambique as the association aims to take the highest performers. Three months ago, LeBA formed the Women’s Commission which deals with women issues.
They have also formed a Women in Sport committee. The committee held talks with the athletes last Saturday before the tournament started and the aim is to motivate women to get into boxing and raise awareness that they do not need to change who they are to fit in.
This comes after some parents raised concerns about their children seemingly changing and starting to act like men just because they get involved in boxing.
Mohale said they are already seeing the results of the committee as many women are starting to join the sport and are expressing their freedom. 2023 LeBA National Championships Gold Medallists: Men:
Mokete Lehoko (48kg), Retšelisitsoe Kolobe (51kg), Toka Litabe (54kg), Mathealira Seholoholo (57kg), Monaheng Khebe (60kg), Qhobosheane Mohlerepe (63.3kg), Kokole Paneng (67kg), Arena Pakela (71kg), Lehlohonolo Pitso (75kg)
Women: Fusi Seholoholo (48kg), Matšepo Mohato (60kg), Laeza Maweng (63kg), Reitumetse Mokoma (67kg), Nthabeleng Mathaha (54Kg), (Maria Tlali 75Kg), Mateke Ramochela (51kg)
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