Africa-Press – Lesotho. Badminton Lesotho interim president, Dr Moneoang Leshota, was elected to BCA Council for a second term during a virtual Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) elective Annual General Meeting held on Saturday, June 19.
In an interview on Tuesday this week, Dr Leshota expressed her gratitude for her election and added that she was yet to be given a role to play in the council.
“I was elected as a member so I am still awaiting to be given a role in the council,” she said. Dr Leshota was first elected to the BCA in 2018 where she was appointed the Chairperson of Women in Badminton Commission.
“As the chairperson of the commission, my responsibility was to ensure women participation in badminton on the continent and to train more female officials – referees and coaches – and I successfully managed to achieve those,” she added.
In 2018 the BCA, through the Women in Badminton Commission, launched an annual African Women in Badminton Award (AWIBA) to, among other reasons, reward outstanding women who have contributed to the development of badminton in Africa by demonstrating an irreproachable attitude and dedication to the sport in their respective fields.
“The award was bestowed on Gretha Prinsloo of South Africa in 2018, Obiageli Solaja of Nigeria in 2019 and Egypt’s Hadia Hosny in 2020,” she said.
Solaja, who is a seven-time African Women’s champion and 10-time Nigeria national champion in her playing days, is one of the pioneers of badminton at the Olympics. Hosny’s accolades follow from her unprecedented performance on court.
She won two titles at the All Africa championships in Egypt, achieving a Badminton World Federation (BWF) world ranking of 35 with her partner, Doha Hany, and many more. She has participated in two Olympic Games and became the first African player to win a match at the Olympics in 2008 and she is also a coach.
